


Searching for a Melody

by StarflowerSea



Category: ARGONAVIS from BanG Dream! AAside (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Drama, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Improvisation, Inspired by Quiet Dance, Music, composition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28725879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarflowerSea/pseuds/StarflowerSea
Summary: While attempting to compose a new song, Rio runs into a challenge that fires him up. However, the challenge soon grows beyond the composition itself, forcing Rio to confront memories of the past he thought he had long since left behind.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 12





	1. Composer's Block

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! I hope you're all doing well!  
> I'm here with a Rio-centered multichapter inspired by Argonavis’s _Quiet Dance!_ Ever since I first heard it in Argonavis’s S-SOL and subsequently read the translated lyrics, I’ve wanted to write a fic about it that will hopefully explore Rio’s character dynamics.  
> I hope you all enjoy! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While suffering from a case of composer's block, Rio enlists Wataru's help in an improvisation session.

Rio gazed at the keyboard, deep in thought.

In his mind a myriad of melodies and harmonies drifted, all of them vying for his attention. Yet none of them felt right, if he could coax them out at all.

Sighing, Rio stood and stretched the frustrated tension from his arms and legs. He had spent nearly three hours at the sharehouse’s piano trying to come up with a new melody, and yet it seemed his creative wellspring had finally run dry.

A series of shuffling steps drew his attention. Glancing down, Rio spotted Pon-chan plodding over to him with a ball in his mouth.

“Hello, Pon-chan,” Rio said with a small smile.

Pon-chan dropped the ball at Rio’s feet with a yip, tail wagging as he gazed up at Rio expectantly.

Rio chuckled as he stooped down and picked up the ball. “I suppose you want to play, hm?”

His question was met with an excited bark as Pon-chan lit up, tail wagging faster. Rio gently rolled the ball across the floor, smirking as Pon-chan tumbled after it eagerly. Pon-chan always seemed to know how to cheer his owners up.

Pon-chan soon rolled back over with the ball, nudging it towards Rio as he scrambled across the floor with his chubby paws. Smiling, Rio scooped up Pon-chan and scratched his ears affectionately. “You’re a good boy.”

“I take it even you’re smitten by Pon-chan too, huh?”

Rio glanced towards the voice to find Wataru entering the living room with a small smirk. Chuckling, Rio nodded as Pon-chan wriggled in his arms. “I suppose you could say that.”

“What have you been doing down here all this time, anyway?” Wataru asked. “I suppose you aren’t trying to work on that new song again, are you?”

Rio bit back a grimace as he put Pon-chan down and glanced back towards the piano. “Admittedly I’ve run into a few snags, but it’s nothing a genius can’t handle.”

“If you say so…” Wataru knit his brows together in a slight frown. “After all, this is the third time this week you’ve said that.”

Rio could only shake his head with a small, yet sheepish smile. “You got me there.”

A beat passed as the two gazed out the window, lost in thought. Rio’s mind drifted to the first time he and Wataru had improvised together in the same space – they played and sang together in this very room, voices radiant as they intertwined. The memory brought with it a faint tinge of nostalgia, a warmth blooming in Rio’s chest.

“Would it be alright if we improvise together again?”

Wataru tilted his head. “Right now? I mean I wouldn’t mind, but…”

Rio nodded. “Perhaps if we worked together we’d be able to figure something out.”

“If you say so,” Wataru responded with an easygoing smile. “I have to admit, the thought of improvising together is actually a bit exciting.”

Rio’s heart fluttered as he smiled back. “I have to agree.”

With that Rio walked over and sat at the piano again, his gaze flitting across the keys. Hesitantly he played a short phrase, furrowing his brow. He could feel Wataru’s expectant gaze as the latter waited.

“Let’s begin.”

Again Rio repeated the phrase, letting his mind wander and playing the first things that came to mind. Unlike before, where everything easily melded together and fit well, this time the melody felt disjointed, harmonies jangling and clashing together. It took Rio all he had not to outwardly grimace in frustration.

Before long Rio trailed off and shook his head. Glancing behind him, he saw Wataru staring at him bemusedly.

“That was…something,” Wataru finally said.

_ You don’t say, _ Rio thought.

Shaking his head, Rio turned back towards the piano. “Shall we try again?”

“If you want,” Wataru muttered.

Rio bit back the twinge of unease in his gut as he settled his hands on the keys. “Alright. I’m ready when you are.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Rio started again, clenching his jaw as he focused. A discordant series of notes rang out, which Rio tried to wrangle into any sense of a coherent melody as best as he could. Behind him Wataru sang along hesitantly, both of them acutely aware of the painfully awkward pauses in between.

As a particularly grating chord rang out, Rio and Wataru winced simultaneously. Immediately Rio jerked his hand back, as if he had been shocked.

“No luck, huh?” Wataru sighed.

“Yeah.” Rio stared down at the keys for a moment, then stood.

“Maybe you should take a break to refresh your mind.” Wataru gestured towards the kitchen. “A snack and drink should help.”

“I suppose,” Rio chuckled wryly as he walked towards the kitchen, Wataru close behind.

Together the duo rummaged through the refrigerator and cabinets for food. Before long Rio emerged with a katsu sandwich, while Wataru had a bag of cookies.

Rio glanced at Wataru with a smirk as the two sat opposite each other. “You never get tired of those, do you Matoba?”

“I could say the same about those sandwiches of yours,” Wataru quipped. “Though I suppose no one can really get tired of any of your cooking – everything you make turns out amazing!”

Rio chuckled warmly and gave Wataru an appreciative smile. “Thank you. I’m glad you all like it so much.”

Together Rio and Wataru ate contently, letting themselves drift in comfortable silence. However, it wasn’t long before Rio found his mind drifting to the song, to his mild annoyance. His mind was admittedly stubborn – it tended to ruminate on some things far more often than it should, especially since this was his first time getting stuck like this. Part of him welcomed it as a new challenge for him to overcome – after all, his reputation as a genius meant that he rarely, if ever got stuck on anything for long, and thus never really knew the meaning of failure – at least not until recently, when he joined Argonavis.

Failures and challenges – while neither of them were foreign concepts to Rio, up until now he hadn’t personally felt either of them in full. Now that he found himself staring a challenge in the face, Rio couldn’t help sparks of excitement. The initial annoyance was soon swept away by a flame that rose within – that familiar feeling he had always been searching for all those years.

Rio smiled to himself as he took another bite of his sandwich. Now was as good a time as any other to push himself, especially when he was finally getting fired up like this. He couldn’t wait to get back to the piano and play.

“Thank you for helping me, Matoba.”

“With the improv, you mean?” Wataru frowned as he scratched the back of his head. “It didn’t exactly succeed though, didn’t it?”

“Even then, we made a little bit of progress. Thanks to you, I think I have a better idea of what I want to do.” Rio gave Wataru a small, yet earnest smile.

Wataru’s features relaxed as he nodded. “In that case, I’m glad I was able to help – even if it was just a little bit.”

Quietly the two finished their food and washed their dishes before returning to the living room. Immediately Rio headed towards the piano again and sat down. However this time, instead of beginning to play, he simply closed his eyes, letting the amalgamation of phrases and chords mingle in his mind.

“Kikyo?” Wataru asked, voice tinged with confusion.

Rio nodded subtly, acknowledging the call before letting it fade into the haze. Gradually he could feel something rise from within his bones, the first hints of a coherent melody emerging from the haze and coming into focus.

Opening his eyes, Rio placed his hands on the keys and began to play.

A soft, lilting melody filled the air, rippling warmth filling the room little by little. Within the gentleness sparks of excitement and hope flew, eager for release. Rio’s heart skipped, his lips curled up into a small smile as he continued onward, laying a path forward through the fog.

Rio perked up as he heard Wataru singing along, the latter’s voice noticeably more confident compared to before. The sound made Rio’s heart flutter as he joined in, recalling the first time they had both improvised together – much like this, though it started out tremulous and rocky, it wasn’t long before they had settled in, confident enough to let their own music pave the way.

Rio and Wataru soon lost themselves in the music, letting their imagination lead the way forward. Before long, the air swirled with familiar warmth, the anxious tension from before dissipating in its wake.

Finally both voices and piano trailed off, the final notes lingering in the air. Rio tilted his head thoughtfully, satisfaction mingling with bemusement as he furrowed his brow. It seemed good enough for now – perhaps this would work as the basis for a melody. Yet Rio also couldn’t shake the feeling that there was still something off about it. No matter though – surely he would figure it out in time.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rio saw Wataru nod. “Seems like you’re satisfied.”

“You could say so,” RIo mused. “This should be enough, at least for now.”

“Sounds good.” Wataru’s lips curled up into a smile as he stood to leave.

“I promise I’ll have something by next rehearsal.” Rio nodded at Wataru. “Thank you again.”

“Of course.” Wataru paused and averted his gaze, his cheeks seeming to flush. “I have to admit, it was fun getting to improv with you like this again. We should do it more.”

Rio chuckled, his heart fluttering. “That can be easily arranged if you’d like.”

To Rio’s amusement Wataru’s face flushed a deeper shade of red as he mumbled. “I…I suppose so.”

In the blink of an eye Wataru shook himself off, his expression smoothing over. “Anyways, best of luck on your composition. I’m interested in seeing what you come up with.”

“Thank you,” Rio replied with a nod. “I am too.”

With that, Wataru turned and swept out of the room, leaving Rio alone at the piano with his own thoughts.


	2. Hollow Melody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio finally has a composition that he is satisfied with. However, when he plays it for the rest of Argonavis, they seem unsure of how to respond…

Over the next few days Rio pressed forward on his composition, working on it as inspiration struck. The improvisation session with Wataru seemed to have loosened his composer’s block and given him a clearer image to work off of. Before long he had a rough idea of the main melody down, with the chorus nearly complete.

Rio played through the chorus of the song once again, allowing the harmonies’ ethereal airiness to send him adrift. Writing it on paper and reading the notes was one thing, but hearing it played out loud allowed another world to open up in front of him.

Rio looked over the sheet music he had jotted down, then nodded in satisfaction. Though it was a bit rough around the edges, this should be enough to show the others for now. He was confident their feedback – as well as any potential ideas Wataru could have for lyrics – would help nudge the piece in a clearer direction.

With this Rio stood and grabbed his notebook. Argonavis was going to rehearse together at the studio soon – a perfect time and place to demo the piece and hear their thoughts.

“There you are, Rio-kun.”

Rio perked up and turned as Banri entered the living room.

“Hello, Shiroishi,” Rio said with a smile.

“You ready for practice later?” Banri grinned cheerily. “It’s been a while since we’ve all rehearsed together as a band – I can’t wait!”

“Me neither.” Rio nodded in agreement. “In fact, there’s something else I’d like to show you all as well.”

Banri perked up. “Is it a new song?”

Rio blinked in surprise, then smiled. “Sharp as ever. How did you know?”

“Well, you’ve been at the piano a lot lately – not to mention I heard you and Wataru-kun singing together the other day.” Banri’s eyes sparkled, his voice dreamy. “It sounded really nice!”

Rio chuckled, a small wave of relief washing over him. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Speaking of which, it looks like the others are here.” Banri nodded towards the stairs, where Rio spotted Ren, Yuto, and Wataru descending.

“There you two are.” Yuto smiled at Rio and Banri. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yep!” Banri replied. “Ready when you all are!”

Rio nodded in agreement. “I’m ready as well.”

“Alright, let’s go!”

With that, the five stepped out into the cool air and made their way down the familiar path to the studio.

Rio gazed around at the storefronts as he followed his companions down the street, the cool breeze caressing his hair. The phases of the new song drifted in his mind, a hum soon on his lips. Vaguely he was aware of the others turning to listen, curiosity and contentment visible on their faces.

“That’s a pretty tune,” Ren said. “I like it!”

“Me too,” Yuto chimed in. “Though it doesn’t sound like anything we’ve heard before – is it perhaps a new melody?”

Rio nodded with a chuckle. “Indeed it is. I’d like to show it to you during our practice session today and gather your thoughts.”

“I’m down!” Banri exclaimed. “It’s the one you and Wataru-kun were working on the other day, right?”

Wataru’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, you heard us improvising?!”

“Mhm! It sounded pretty good!” Banri grinned. “Though at first it seemed like you guys were having trouble – it was a bit of a tricky one, huh?”

Wataru averted his gaze, his lips puckering slightly in embarrassment. “Well, I suppose you could say that.”

“I’m sure you guys did your best!” Yuto chirped. “I can’t wait to hear what you came up with!”

Ren nodded in agreement. “I want to sing it as soon as I can!”

Rio’s heart fluttered as he offered everyone a nod and a smile. “I’m glad you’re all looking forward to it.” Yet despite his best attempt at being cheerful, he could feel a small knot of unease in his stomach – which puzzled him, to say the least. Normally he never felt anxious about showing the others his concepts – after all, they all had faith in Rio’s music, and he had faith in their feedback. It was a vital part of the process.

And yet with his mind drifting back to the melody he wrote, there was no denying the twinges of anxiety. They were small, yet they made their presence known, nibbling at the back of his mind. What if they disliked it? What if they pointed out things that he wouldn’t be able to figure out?

Rio brushed the thoughts off with a shake of his head. There was no use in worrying about hypothetical what-ifs. All would be known once he played it for them aloud. Besides, if they were to ask him those kinds of questions, it’d be a welcome challenge for sure.

Before Rio knew it the five had arrived at the studio, where they headed in and set up as usual. Rio took his place at the keyboard and gazed down at the keys, his mind drifting as he absentmindedly played a few notes.

“Shall we get started?” Yuto’s voice pulled Rio from his reverie.

Everyone nodded as they responded in affirmation, Rio included. For a moment Rio glanced around at the others, a small smile flitting across his face. It was almost comforting in a way, seeing everyone in their usual cheer. He could sense the knot in his gut easing somewhat – surely it was going to be alright, and he was simply overthinking things.

Before long Argonavis was swept away in the flow of practice, all other doubts and worries forgotten. Rio played and sang along contently, losing himself in the rhythms and harmonies that swirled around everyone. Time itself melted away as the five surrendered to the music, letting it wash over them. Before they knew it, nearly two hours had passed.

As they were winding down Rio felt the composition fill his mind, nagging at him to give it attention. Like a child tugging insistently at their parent’s arm the melody clung to him, pushing away all other thoughts in its desperation to be heard.

“Rio?”

Rio stiffened and glanced up at his name. “Hm?”

“We’re going to have a quick break before we resume practice,” Yuto said.

“Oh.” Rio gazed around at everyone, then back down at the keyboard. “In that case, I’d like to show you the song we discussed earlier.”

Ren perked up. “Oh, right, we nearly forgot!”

“Is it alright with everyone?” Yuto asked.

Rio felt a small wave of relief wash over him as Wataru and Banri nodded in unison. Drawing in a quiet breath to steady himself, he nodded at everyone. “Alright, here goes.”

With that Rio began to play, letting his fingers dance over the keys.

The melody that swirled through the air was warm and familiar, yet it was also filled with an almost alien coldness that seeped through the cracks. It danced through the air, lacing it with threads of silk that gently tangled around delicate icicles. Yet underneath it all were wisps of fire that gently made themselves known, their light caressing the air.

Glancing around, Rio could see the others watching in a mixture of rapt attention and quiet awe. A smile flitted across Rio’s face as he continued, relief and contentment blooming in his chest.

Yet as Rio continued, he could feel the fabric of the melody unraveling at the seams. His jaw clenched in determination as he stumbled over a few notes but kept pushing forward. Despite this he was acutely aware of the clashing harmonies that emerged, the frayed threads in the melody laying themselves bare as everything around it slowly fell to shambles.

Finally Rio trailed off, catching himself on a particularly grating chord that made everyone wince. A taut beat hung in the air as the phantom echoes faded, everyone unsure of what to say.

“Um…” Ren’s voice wavered as he finally piped up with a small smile. “That was pretty good, to be honest.”

“You think so?” Looking over at Ren, Rio could see the former’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Y-yeah…” Yuto’s voice wavered slightly. “The beginning was great! But it seemed like near the end there…” He trailed off, averting his gaze uncomfortably.

“Well, it’s just a concept for now,” Rio said, swallowing the phantom bitterness in the back of his throat. “I figured that playing it and asking for your feedback would give me ideas on how to improve it.”

As silence again fell on the room Rio furrowed his brow, inwardly confused. After all, this wasn’t anything new – positive and constructive feedback both, but especially the latter – were important if he were to turn a rough concept into a playable song.

So why did he feel so uneasy?

Rio’s chest tightened as he caught his friends’ uneasy gazes. Perhaps this time it was because no one seemed to know what to say – maybe it was a feeling no one knew how to place into words.

Finally, Banri spoke up, looking Rio in the eye. “It feels empty.”

“Empty?”

“Yeah.” Banri folded his arms. “Sure, the first part sounded pretty and delicate, but it felt like a veneer, if you will. It felt hollow, without any substance – there wasn’t anything truly there.”

“It felt hollow, huh?” Rio paused, letting the phrase linger on his tongue.

“Now that Banri-kun says it, I think he has a point,” Wataru chimed in. “I could hear it in our improvisation session as well – you certainly started out strong, but it wasn’t long before you wavered.”

“I see.” Rio frowned thoughtfully as their words sunk in.

Even Ren and Yuto nodded in agreement as the latter spoke up. “It sounds…how do I put it?” Yuto paused, as if searching for the right word. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. “Ir sounds reserved compared to how you’d normally play – as if you were hiding something.”

Rio’s gut tightened with a sharp pang. He opened his mouth to respond but found himself at a loss for words, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Waves of unease and vexation assaulted him, heat rising to his cheeks as he gazed down at the keyboard again.

Finally Rio nodded in acknowledgment, biting back a weary sigh. “I understand. I’ll revise it the best I can, and share it with you all as soon as I can.” Even as Rio tried his best to sound calm and reassuring, he detested how painfully aware he was of the tremor in his voice.

“There’s no need to rush,” Ren said with a reassuring smile, though the concern in his voice was palpable. “We all know that you’ve been working hard on this, and that things like this take time. We have faith that you’ll make an amazing song – I’m sure of it.”

“Thank you, Nanahoshi.” The tension in Rio’s gut loosened as he smiled back quietly. Yet the undercurrent of unease remained, swirling and throbbing underneath the surface. The very air itself seemed to close around Rio, growing so stifling he feared he could barely breathe.

With a deep breath, Rio shook the fog from his mind and straightened. “If it’s alright with you all, I’m going to get some fresh air.”

Before anyone else could react he brushed past them and strode out of the studio, making his way out into the open air.


	3. Haunted by the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rio steps outside to reminisce, he is confronted by old rumors and demons he thought he had long since left behind.

Rio gazed up at the sky with a quiet sigh, thoughts swirling in his mind.

The phantom echo of his friends’ words rang in his ears, a wave of bitterness inundating the back of his throat. Try as he might, the more Rio tried to make sense of the words, the more his mind ached.

What could he be hiding?

Rio bit back a frustrated growl as he clenched his jaw. It was quite the vexing question – as if he had anything to hide at all.

Yet deep inside Rio knew that something that lay slumbering, though it grew more and more restless by the day. It was an urge to let loose, to show the world the emotional side of himself that he never dared show even around his closest friends and family – Argonavis included.

Beneath the surface demons of the past also slumbered, demons whose names Rio was afraid to utter aloud. By suppressing this side of himself, he was also suppressing the darkness of his past – and with it memories nearly too painful for him to bear.

Memories flickered to the surface, glasslike fragments that jabbed Rio like needles. Whereas before he blossomed with every achievement, letting passion drive him on, gradually the flames died down – and alongside it, he hid himself and his emotions away. Even though he searched endlessly, part of him was afraid to let his emotions run free – more often than not, it had resulted in envy and jealousy from his peers.

At first it was limited to the occasional snide comment, or conversely, others fawning over and expressing their desires to be half as good as he was. Rio had to admit, he despised the latter so much more – while he could easily brush off disparaging remarks, he could not so easily ignore praise, which more often than not were but thinly veiled expressions of jealousy – or at the least shallow attempts to gain favors and attention from him. Not many of his peers saw Rio as a person; rather they simply saw him as the genius he was constantly lauded for – someone to be envied, a stepping stone for popularity – and if Rio dared say, someone to be manipulated for their own ends.

When Rio found baseball, for a while he thought he would finally be able to put the past behind him. After all, he finally found a team he could truly be a part of – a team that treated him as an equal, rather than as someone standing alone above the rest. For a while, Rio thought he had finally found a place he belonged.

But of course, fate had to get in the way.

In hindsight, Rio was rather grateful for it, for if he had not left baseball, he certainly wouldn’t have found Argonavis – but once again he was pulled back into the cycle of his past. When he entered university, the old rumors picked up again, and it wasn’t long before he began receiving invites from almost every club in the university imaginable – it seemed like everyone wanted a piece of him, hoping that it’d benefit them.

Of course, Rio was in it for himself as well – after all, back then he was still searching for something else that’d stir the passion slumbering within him, and he was desperate enough to leap at any opportunity that came his way. But as soon as he stepped foot in the door and joined, it grew painfully clear that as before, his abilities easily exceeded that of everyone else around him. With this every community he was in stagnated, relying on his genius to carry them instead of moving forward as a whole. It wasn’t something Rio could really help, which silently frustrated him. But he kept those feelings to himself, bottling them up and shoving them deep down, where they festered and mingled with his dreaming passion.

Things only crumbled when Rio drifted. When he left a community due to lack of passion, it collapsed in his wake, leaving frustration and resentment to rise from the ashes. Like miasma it spread, touching every group Rio interacted with, and before long his reputation as the circle-breaker was born.

Rio clenched his jaw as he shook the thoughts from his mind. There was no use dwelling on the past – those memories were only interfering with his ability to focus on the piece.

And yet…

“Kikyo?”

Rio stiffened, but did not turn. For a moment he hesitated, his mind going blank.

“Kikyo? Are you there?”

“Yeah, I am.” Reluctantly Rio turned his head to face Wataru, who had a brow raised in concern.

“We were worried when you didn’t return to the studio, so I came looking for you.” Wataru walked over to Rio, his expression morphing into a frown. “What’s going on? This isn’t like you at all.”

Rio bit back the urge to retort as he shook his head. “It’s nothing – I just got carried away reminiscing. My apologies.” Straightening, he turned to meet Wataru’s gaze. “Shall we head back to the studio and resume practice?”

Wataru’s gaze lingered on Rio, his concerned frown deepening. After a long moment, Wataru finally nodded with a silent sigh. “If you say so. But…don’t push yourself too hard, alright?”

Rio tilted his head and blinked. For all he could tell, he had barely done anything worthy of concern. Yet his confused expression soon melted into a small, but grateful smile as he nodded. “Thank you, Matoba. I appreciate it.”

Wataru’s expression softened into relief as he placed a hand on Rio’s shoulder. “We’re counting on you, genius.”

A chuckle slipped free as Rio nodded, his heart swelling. “I understand.”

With that the two headed back into the studio together, relieved peace settling between them.

* * *

The rest of rehearsal passed by swiftly and uneventfully, with Rio easily pushing the intruding thoughts from his mind. The cloud hanging over him cleared for the time being as Rio devoted himself to moving forward with the others – though wisps of worry continued to swirl faintly in the back of his mind, hiding and biding their time.

As Argonavis was winding down their final song, Rio felt a small weight lift from his chest. He released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, letting a smile of satisfaction cross his face as he gazed around at his friends.

“Great work, everyone!” Yuto grinned cheerfully as he stretched out. “That makes a wrap for today!”

Ren stretched out as well and nodded. “That was an awesome rehearsal! We got a lot done, for sure!”

“Indeed we did,” Wataru chimed in. “Great work.”

“Now the next question – what’s for dinner?” Banri said as he stood. “Nothing beats a good, hearty meal after an intense practice session!”

“Last I recall, Rio and I are on cooking duty tonight.” Yuto nodded over at Rio. “You got any ideas, Rio?”

Rio blinked and glanced up. “Huh?”

“Seriously, weren’t you listening?” Wataru sighed in exasperation as he folded his arms.

“My apologies.” Rio hung his head. “I suppose my mind must’ve wandered again.”

The others glanced at each other in concern.

“Maybe I should take over for tonight,” Banri said quietly. “If Rio-kun isn’t feeling up to it—”

“I’ll do it,” Rio interjected, a bit louder than he liked.

“Are you sure?” Ren asked worriedly. “You clearly seem worried about something, and—”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Rio gave everyone what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Besides, I enjoy cooking – it helps me take my mind off of things.”

“If you say so.” Yuto’s features relaxed a fraction, though it was clear he and the others weren’t entirely convinced. “Alright, then what do you guys want?”

“How about omurice?” Ren suggested. “It’s been a while since we’ve had that.”

“Sounds good to me!” Banri replied cheerily.

Wataru nodded in agreement. “I’m fine with it too.”

“Sounds good,” Rio replied. “Omurice it is, then.”

“Alright!” Yuto’s eyes sparkled as he gazed around at everyone in approval. “Then let’s hurry home and get cooking!”

With that, the five grabbed their things and headed out of the studio to be greeted by the cool evening air.

The sky above was a beautiful shade of navy blue, stars twinkling faintly above. The sight always sent Rio’s heart skipping and ignited a flame in his chest.

His gaze flitted to the brightest one he could see, lingering on it thoughtfully. This star shone tenaciously, as its companions did – no matter the light down below outshining them, no matter the darkness threatening to swallow them up, they continued to shine, releasing their radiance to the world. It was admiring, heartwarming even, especially as Rio’s mind drifted back to Argonavis. Like the stars above they would continue to shine with their music, letting it radiate to the world and reach as many people as they could.

Rio clenched his jaw as he curled a hand into a fist. After coming this far, even after stumbling, he couldn’t give up – not just for his sake, but for Argonavis’s as well. His bandmates and cherished friends, all of them were here for each other – and he promised he’d always stand by them, no matter what.

Rio drew in a deep breath, feeling the flame within his chest burn brighter by the moment. Before he knew it he had broken into a run, his friends’ surprised shouts – and all other sounds – soon swept away by the breeze as Rio took off down the sidewalk. Exhilaration rushed through him as his feet pounded against the concrete in a steady, stirring rhythm that matched that of his pulse thumping in his ears. For what felt like an eternity it was just him alone, running to his heart’s content.

Finally Rio slowed to a stop as he arrived at the park, gazing around contently as he caught his breath. The air was fresh and clear, the crisp breeze invigorating as it cleared the fog from his mind. After all that had happened the past few days, a brisk run was exactly what he needed.

“Hey, you.”

Rio perked up as an unfamiliar voice sliced the air. Glancing towards it, he saw two students approaching him, one female and one male. Something about them sent shivers down Rio’s spine, his body stiffening warily.

“What do you want?” Rio asked, though he made sure to keep his voice level.

The girl eyed Rio like a hawk as she tossed her twintails behind her head. “So this is the famed Rio Kikyo from Argonavis, is it?”

The edge in her voice made Rio’s gut curl as he nodded. “Yes, indeed. How may I help you?”

“We were just wanting to confirm something with you.” The girl’s partner adjusted his glasses. “About those… _rumors_ that have been going around.”

The sentence sent icy spears up Rio’s back, his gut recoiling sharply. Already a steely edge was working its way into his voice as he replied. “What exactly do you want to know about them?”

“Well, we’ve heard about how Argonavis’s keyboardist is a genius – and quite the popular one, at that.” The girl folded her arms across her chest with a smirk. “In fact, he’s so well-known for it that back in his hometown, he’s racked up quite the reputation for the circles he’d join – circles that most certainly welcomed and relied on his genius to run.”

“And?” Rio shot back. “What are you implying?”

“That said _genius_ is not only crazy good, but he’s also one pretentious, stuck-up attention seeker,” the boy snarled. “He only joined those circles so he could show off how high and mighty he was. Not to mention, of course, he’d be conveniently surrounded by people who would constantly fawn over his every deed.”

Rio grit his teeth so hard he thought they’d shatter under the pressure, fire roiling in his gut. “That’s not—”

“And as soon as they stopped boosting his ego he’d toss them aside in search for new fans,” the boy continued loudly as if he hadn’t heard Rio, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. “Poor boy, all he cared about was showing off for an audience, using his ‘lost passion’ as a flimsy excuse.”

Rio’s blood pounded in his ears as he curled a knuckle-white first, desperately trying to calm the rage threatening to engulf him. Though their words were like spears of magma to his heart, he couldn’t allow his anger to get to him.

“Ever since that day, you were always searching for a place to belong, a place where you’d be accepted.” The girl’s voice softened a touch, though it did nothing to hide the edge in her words. “And in the end, you finally found it in this band, Argonavis. Together you went on a voyage with them, hoping that by accompanying them here you’d be able to escape those painful memories. However, it seems the past can’t be shaken so easily.”

Rio straightened and smoothed his expression over the best he could. “With all due respect, I am rather short on time. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.” Though he tried his best to sound unruffled, he hated how his voice trembled.

“Or are you simply trying to run away once again?” the boy replied coldly. “From the painful truth you don’t want to confront.”

“Then do tell me if you’d be so kind, what exactly this truth is,” Rio hissed.

“Deep inside you only joined Argonavis because they were convenient for you – surely, in the end you’ll toss them away and leave them to pick up the pieces.” The boy shook his head, steel thick in his voice. “Or worse, they’ll leave _you_ once they realize you aren’t as serious about your efforts as the rest of them.”

Rio narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think that? If I wasn’t serious, I never would’ve joined Argonavis in the first place!”

“Or you’re just afraid to admit it deep down,” his partner retorted. “Selfish, manipulative bastard as you are, so skilled at hiding your feelings that you’re even deceiving yourself. Look deep inside your heart and ask yourself. You know your passion is fading, yet you run from it constantly, telling lies at every turn.” She sighed sorrowfully, brows knit together. “We could tell in your last performance – it just wasn’t the same.”

Rio opened his mouth to retort, only for his breath to catch in his throat as the words died on his lips. He could only grit his teeth with a low growl, a pitiful act of defiance as it was. The two students fixed Rio with glares that bore into his soul, their gazes unwavering.

“Argonavis is hesitant to let you go because they know they’ll collapse if you disappear.” Their words rang heavy in Rio’s ears, pounding at him like hammers. “But the unspoken truth is that they know that you’ll only hinder them in their journey – even if they’re too afraid to spit it out. Such a shame, isn’t it – your friends are all but spineless cowards, that _leader_ of yours especially. Trying to hide from their pain, to go so far as to spread rumors about other bands to hide how pathetic they all truly are!”

“How dare you…?!” Rio’s voice rose to a thick shout as the fury within him bubbled over. “To say that about my friends is—”

“It’ll be better if you just dropped out of Argonavis – or all of you withdrew from the Live Royale Festival,” the girl spoke over him. “After all, it’s certainly better to swallow a harsh truth than to continue living a beautiful lie, don’t you think?”

Mirthless laughter slipped helplessly from Rio’s lips as he lowered his head, his body trembling as burning magma threatened to burst out. When he met their gazes again, he pinned the duo with a glare that sent them visibly recoiling. “For you to call our dreams, all of Argonavis’s hopes and ambitions – the very foundation upon why we are here right now – a lie, is absolutely unforgivable!”

“Rio!”

Rio perked up in relief at a familiar shout. Turning, his heart leapt as he saw the rest of Argonavis running towards him, waving.

“There you are!” Yuto shouted. “We were looking everywhere for you!”

“Don’t just run off on us like that!” Wataru panted as he doubled over, hands on his knees. “We were all worried thinking something happened to you and—”

A derisive chuckle from both of the students cut Wataru off. Immediately all of Argonavis turned their gazes towards them with a mixture of confusion and annoyance – save for Rio, who slipped into a defensive stance as he clenched his fists.

“So these are the rest of Argonavis,” the boy smirked. “Very interesting, indeed.”

Ren tilted his head. “Interesting? How so?”

“Let’s just say…they look exactly like the sort of milquetoasts we expected them to be.” His partner scoffed lightly as she flicked a lock of hair behind her head.

“What’re you going on about?” Banri raised an eyebrow. “If you got something to say, just spit it out!”

Rio winced and tightened his jaw, acutely aware of how his skin itched. The flames writhing within fanned dangerously hot – so much so that Rio thought he would erupt any second.

“Tell me,” the boy began as he straightened. “What is it like to have a selfish, two-faced devil in your midst?”

“What did you just call him?” Wataru growled as he strode up to them, eyes blazing stormily.

The girl clucked, sickly sweetness belying scorn. “Now, now, there’s no need to get so riled up. After all, you all know the truth about his reputation as well, don’t you?”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Ren asked.

“Why did you allow Rio in the band, knowing that you know it’ll end up happening again?” the boy replied. “Surely, you’ve seen the messages and rumors – that all he’s done is drag you down, to the point where you resorted to spreading rumors about the other bands to save face!”

“Again with the rumor talk?!” Wataru spread his hands out incredulously. “We’re telling you, we had nothing to do with that!”

“Besides, there's no way Rio would leave us!” Yuto shouted, voice and expression filled with desperate resolve. “Rio’s been with us since this band’s very beginning, and never once has he shown any sign of wavering!”

Banri nodded in agreement and straightened. “Yuto-kun’s right. Throughout our journey, Rio-kun became a close friend to all of us – not to mention his amazing abilities as a keyboardist. You can’t just go around assuming stuff like that!”

“And yet none of what we said is mere assumption,” the boy retorted. “It’s the truth – everyone from Hakodate to Tokyo knows it. All of the circles that Rio joined, only to discard those within and leave when it no longer suited him, leaving naught but strife and destruction in his wake.”

“Even then…!” Ren cried out. “That time, Rio was lost, drifting and searching for something to fire him up – I know, because I was the same!”

“And what if Rio’s passion fades again here?” The girl grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes. “I’ve heard you all say such things time and again in your lyrics, in your speeches, everywhere – ‘It was fate that we met,’ ‘It can’t be without you,’ ‘Without all five of us, nothing can begin.’ Sure, they may seem like heartwarming platitudes extolling your band’s friendship, but you know the true meanings under the surface. If even one of you were to fall, surely the rest will collapse alongside you. Are you prepared to face that should it come?”

“What are you implying?” Rio asked.

“Do we need to spell it out for you? You’ve probably already experienced it firsthand at least once,” the boy spat as jutted a finger at Rio. “Someday, one bastard’s selfishness, one coward’s lack of resolve is going to destroy your beloved Argonavis – and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“For you to say those things about Kikyo…!!” Wataru’s voice trembled, thick with barely-contained fury. “How dare you speak of one of our friends in this way?!”

“Rich coming from the person who originally was against Rio joining – and even then butt heads with him constantly,” the girl snorted. “Sounds hypocritical, if you ask me.” The two students pinned Argonavis with a glare that made Rio’s skin crawl. “That alone should be enough to show that all Rio’s presence does is bring strife and pain.”

“What are you talking about?” Banri drew to his full height and marched over to them. “Sure, we may fight with each other every now and then, but that’s the nature of friends, isn’t it? Besides, it makes things more interesting and lively, too!” He glanced around at everyone. “Right, guys?”

Yuto tilted his head with a small frown. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly put it that way, but…I suppose you’re right.”

“Regardless, what you say about Rio doesn’t matter!” Rio startled as Ren’s shout carried through the air. “You don’t know him! You don’t know him like any of us do!”

“Of course you’d say that. But what is there to know? He manipulated you all. Wound you up like puppets on a string, making you all feel like you bonded with each other, that you found the one – but how long will it last?” The boy spread out his hands. “When the storm comes, when his passion fades to nothing, will he stay?”

“I will!” The words burst from Rio without a second thought, his chest heaving as he pinned everyone with a gaze of desperate conviction. “Argonavis are my cherished friends, and nothing you say will make me say otherwise!”

“Kikyo…”

“You can see it in his eyes, can’t you? The anger and denial, mixed with fear and apprehension – what does it tell you?” The boy leaned in close, his expression darkening. “Clearly he’s hiding a secret he knows will tear everyone apart should it break loose.”

Rio froze, an icy spear piercing his chest.

“What…” he stammered, his voice a bare whisper. “How did you know?”

Vaguely Rio grew aware of his friends’ concerned gazes. Swallowing, he silently drew in a series of deep breaths, desperately wrestling with the rising tide of panic threatening to crush him.

“Oops, looks like we hit a nerve with that, didn’t we?” The girl frowned, scornful pity lacing her voice. “My bad – I didn’t mean to insult you with such a painful truth.”

“If you insult Rio one last time, I swear—” Yuto’s voice rose to a shout as he readied to charge them. “You bastards!”

“Let’s go, everyone,” Rio said loudly. Gritting his teeth, he turned on his heel and strode off. “It’s not worth the trouble.”

“Rio-kun!” Banri shouted as he chased after.

Rio’s breath caught in his throat as he strode off as quickly as he could. His chest tightened, cheeks with frustration and humiliation as he hunched over, praying the shadows could hide the hot tears pricking at his eyes and threatening to cascade down his face.

Gradually everything else around him was swept away by waves of white noise, darkness shrouding his every thought.


	4. Losing Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio is driven into a slump by the students' words. The others try to cheer him up, but…

Even with his friends at his side, there was a gaping hole in Rio’s chest.

Rio’s head hung low, tears stinging his eyes and trailing down his face in warm rivulets. His mind swirled numbly, the drone of white noise thick in his ears as frustration and rage roiled in his gut.

How could they say such things about him and Argonavis?

Behind him, Rio could feel his friends’ concerned gazes. The air was still, heavy with worry that choked everyone’s breaths. Rio dared not raise his head, lest the others see the torment in his eyes and ask questions he was nowhere near ready to answer.

After what felt like an eternity of painful silence, the familiar figure of the sharehouse finally came into view. Instinctively Rio picked up his pace, his legs dragging him to the front door as fast as they could carry him. Fumbling for the key, he shoved it into the doorknob and turned it, releasing a breath at the familiar click of the lock. The moment the door was open he slipped in and beelined towards the stairs, leaping up them two steps at a time.

“Rio?” Ren called from down below. “What are you—”

The rest of Ren’s question was cut off as Rio entered his room and closed the door with a _thud._ For a moment he leaned heavily against the doorframe, his breath coming in quiet, shallow pants as he faintly heard the others discussing downstairs in confused, worried tones. Finally, Rio released his grip on the door and made his way to his bed, where he stretched out in exhaustion, gaze fixed on the ceiling.

Never had he imagined things would come to this.

As much as Rio loathed it, he also couldn’t help but be bitterly impressed that the rumors had made it this far, nearly a year later. It seemed that no matter where you go, you can never truly escape the past.

Rio clenched his jaw as the students’ words resurfaced, their cruel smirks making his gut twist in anger. For them to wantonly mock him and his friends, to insult their achievements, dreams, and hopes the way they did – it turned Rio’s blood to magma that bubbled relentlessly under the surface, filling his limbs with enraged adrenaline.

But most of all, that secret of his that they mentioned…

The thought was a tsunami of icy water that doused the magma, freezing it solid in his veins. Immediately he wanted to shove it out of his mind, to bury it deep down and forget it ever existed. Yet at the same time, he knew that to do that was a disservice to himself, as well as his friends. Now that they knew about it, surely they would ask in time – and he would have to reveal it, whether he liked it or not.

Phantom bitterness stung the back of Rio’s tongue as his chest tightened. The secret was admittedly something he had hinted at, if not discussed openly – at least the parts he was comfortable with – with his friends, to no issue. Yet what they knew presently only scratched the surface of the tangled threads that lay underneath – of the relationship that Rio had with himself. He wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to truly understand it, even if he explained it as thoroughly and plainly as he could. Mainly, however, what gnawed at him was the notion that revealing it would tear the band apart. If the secret lay in how he saw himself, how much would it truly affect the rest of Argonavis? After all, it was something that he could easily wrangle alone – it didn’t have to affect the rest of them.

At least that was what he told himself.

Rio shook his head, acutely aware of how quickly his mind was spinning. By now all his thoughts had blurred together, words tumbling haphazardly over each other. He wasn’t sure if he was making sense even to himself anymore.

A loud clatter from downstairs startled him from his thoughts. His brow furrowed as he heard Banri and Yuto shouting in frustration, followed by shaky apologies from Ren and Wataru. Were they arguing over something? No doubt their worries about Rio’s behavior, as well as the confrontation in the park, were getting to them.

Rio heaved a frustrated sigh as he stretched the tension from his limbs. There was no doubt he had brought down the mood even before that with the song he had performed, but the confrontation in the park certainly didn’t help – thanks to that he had dragged his friends into an avoidable quandary and ruined what little hope remained. He definitely owed them an apology, as well as a way to make up for it, before anything else.

But even then, would it be enough?

Doubt and worry gnawed at Rio, gradually snowballing until he feared it would overflow. All Rio could do for now was curl up in misery, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to shut the thoughts out. The last thing he wanted to do right now was think.

Rio perked up as someone knocked on his bedroom door. He glanced at it for a moment, then sighed and lay back down. Whoever it was, he didn’t have the energy to deal with them right now.

The knock came again, a touch more insistent. Rio simply ignored it this time, curling up tighter. He didn’t even have the strength to retort.

“Rio?” Ren’s voice came, soft and worried from the other side. “Just wanted to let you know it’s time for dinner.”

Rio gulped, the knots in his gut refusing to loosen. Any thoughts of food were all but unappetizing to him right now, and yet the rumbling in his stomach and the waves of dizziness assaulting his skull told him otherwise.

Groaning quietly, Rio stretched out and sat up, then swung his legs off of the bed and stood. Reluctantly he made his way out of his room and downstairs, perking up as a familiar smell wafted over to him. Rio tilted his head and blinked in curiosity and confusion, before shaking it off and meandering over to the dining room.

As Rio arrived at the dining room he saw to his surprise that there were five plates of curry on the table instead of omurice. Though at first glance it looked a tad mushy compared to his own curry, everything else looked rather decent. For a long moment Rio could only stare at the table, a small bemused smile crossing his face even as a lump welled in his throat.

“There you are, Rio-kun.” Banri’s soft voice pulled Rio from his daze.

Rio glanced towards the kitchen to find the rest of Argonavis emerging with exhausted, but satisfied smiles on their faces. Behind them Rio could spot a haphazard mess of bowls, utensils, and pots piled up in the sink – no doubt the proof of their efforts.

“You…you made this?” Rio’s voice was hoarse as he gestured to the table.

Everyone nodded in unison.

“It was Ren’s idea,” Yuto said. “We all wanted to do something to cheer you up after what happened earlier tonight, and he suggested we try to cook curry for dinner. I know it’s not as good as yours, but we tried our best – we hope you like it.”

“Of course, we couldn’t go without creating a mess,” Banri grumbled as he gestured towards the kitchen. “Ren spilled half of the roux all over the floor, which caused Wataru to slip and drop the bowl of onions.” He side-eyed Ren and Wataru as the duo chuckled apologetically. “But other than that, things proceeded surprisingly smoothly, so…great work, everyone!”

Rio could only stare at his friends speechlessly, painfully aware of his trembling frame as hot tears stung his eyes for the second time that night. He gave them a watery smile before turning away, hoping the shadows would hide his tears.

“Kikyo…?” Wataru ventured.

Rio gulped as he desperately wrestled with the sobs rising in his throat. A small hiccup escaped, eliciting a helpless chuckle as Rio shook his head.

“It’s fine, I…” Rio drew in a deep breath as he turned back towards his friends. “Thank you so much. This means more to me than you’ll ever imagine.” Though his voice was warm, there was no hiding the tremor within. He gave his friends what he hoped was a grateful smile, though it threatened to crumble under the flood of tears.

Again the others shared quiet glances, relief mingling with concern.

Hesitantly Ren walked over to Rio and embraced him gently. For a moment Rio froze, unsure of how to react. He hadn’t remembered the last time anyone had hugged him this tenderly, this warmly. It felt familiar and comforting, yet simultaneously foreign, almost alien.

Finally Rio relaxed and leaned into the embrace, losing himself in the warmth shrouding him. Before long Yuto, Wataru, and Banri also joined them, a somber, yet hopeful air hanging around them. For what felt like an eternity time stood still, leaving them to drift in a silent void. 

Gradually everyone separated, quiet and reluctant. The air remained still, tinged with uncertainty as the five gazed at each other, searching for words.

“Thank you, again.” Rio’s lips curled up into a quiet, grateful smile, though it didn’t reach the tiredness in his eyes. “And…I’m sorry you had to see that side of me.”

“There’s no need to apologize at all!” Yuto’s voice rose as he frantically waved his hands in front of him. “I mean, you did nothing wrong, and besides…it’s okay to let out your emotions. It’s a human thing to do.”

Banri nodded in agreement. “We’re all here for you, Rio-kun. We’re all friends after all, and friends look out for each other.”

Rio opened his mouth to respond, only for his breath to catch in his throat. Instead he simply nodded, a wave of heat burning his chest.

“Um…shall we eat, then?” Ren’s voice wavered slightly as he gestured to the table. “The food’s getting cold…”

“Oh, right.” Yuto blinked and shook himself off, as if Ren’s words had stirred him from a daze. Straightening, he gazed around at everyone with a cheery smile. “Come on. Let’s eat, guys!”

The atmosphere seemed to lift slightly as everyone nodded in affirmation and made their way to the table, Rio included. Yet Rio could detect an awkwardness lingering, the edge making his gut curl a touch.

Together the five sat and ate quietly. Rio stared down at his plate, then tried a bite of the curry hesitantly. A mix of warm flavors bloomed across his tongue, a sharp spiciness most prevalent among them. Rio paused for a moment and closed his eyes, letting the flavors linger and meld.

“How is it?” Wataru asked.

Rio snapped his eyes open and gulped, then looked up and smiled around at everyone quietly. “It’s good. You all did a great job.”

“Thanks,” Wataru replied with a grateful smile in return. “Glad to hear it.”

Again silence fell, broken only by the clink of silverware. Rio continued to pick at his food – despite the insistent rumble of his empty stomach and the invitingly warm smells, the curry left an oily, bitter aftertaste lingering on his tongue.

“Hey, Rio…” Yuto began quietly. “About what happened at the park earlier…”

Rio tensed and glanced up warily. “What about it?”

He bit back a wince as Yuto visibly flinched, drawing concerned looks from the others as they looked between the two.

Yuto seemed to deflate, gaze downcast as he chewed on his lower lip. “It’s…it’s nothing, sorry. Forget I said anything.”

Rio blinked in surprise, a pang of guilt nicking his gut. “Goryo…”

“I think what Yu wants to say is, don’t let those students’ words get to you,” Wataru spoke up. “Believe me, I was just as angry as you were, if not more so. The things they said about you – about us as a band – were absolutely unforgivable.”

Banri nodded in agreement, his voice hardening. “It’s pretty clear they saw the rumors being spread around online. Heck, I wouldn’t put it past them being some of the people who vandalized our sharehouse.”

Rio clenched his jaw, a burst of magma erupting through him as he recalled the hateful messages scrawled haphazardly on the walls of Argonavs’s sharehouse. For a moment his surroundings seemed to darken, the haze of fury clouding his vision.

“Even then, if we let them get to us…” Ren’s voice wavered, yet also carried a grim determination as he gripped his chopsticks tighter. “We can’t let the things they say stop us from reaching our dreams! We just need to work harder to make up for it and show them!”

“Nanahoshi…”

Banri nodded in agreement. “Ren-kun’s right. As long as we have each other, everything will be fine. There’s no doubt it’ll be difficult, but I’m sure that in time we can win our fans over again.” He gave everyone a reassuring smile. “Right?”

“You can rely on us, Rio.” Faintly Rio heard Yuto’s voice through the haze. “You don’t need to shoulder your burdens alone.”

“We’re all here for you, Kikyo,” Wataru chimed in as he nodded. “No matter what happens, we’ll always be here for each other – that’s the promise we all made, after all.”

Once again Rio found himself at a loss for words, his mind as frazzled as a ship tossed about in a merciless storm. He didn’t even have the strength to nod or smile in return – instead he squeezed his eyes shut as stifling silence pressed down on his head and squeezed his throat, threatening to choke what little remained of his voice until there was nothing left.

“I’m sorry.” The words slipped free in a bare whisper, nearly inaudible even to Rio himself. He drew in a low, shaky breath in a futile attempt to gather his thoughts.

His legs moved of their own accord – before Rio could register what was happening they had pulled him up and away from the table, dragging him towards the stairs. Amidst his friends’ confused calls his mind spun, the drone of white noise deafening as it buzzed in his skull.

Whispering choked apologies he himself couldn’t hear, Rio pounded up the stairs to his room, yearning to shut out the entire world for as long as he could.


	5. Giving in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio retreats to his room again, where his thoughts continue to haunt him. As self-doubt and despair take hold, he makes a rash decision.

The moment Rio made it to the safety of his room, his legs gave out under him, tears cascading freely down his face.

Choked sobs broke free, wracking his chest as he curled up with his head to his knees. His body trembled as he heaved, no longer able to hold back the tsunami of emotions flooding from him.

After everything his friends had done for him, this was how he repaid them…

All of Rio’s thoughts blurred together as a strangled howl tore his throat, soon breaking off into frustrated, helpless cries. He felt as if he were drowning, being crushed again and again by waves of emotions he could barely discern every time he tried to draw breath.

It was too much.

For an agonizing eternity Rio could only surrender himself to the raging storm of grief, weeping until no tears remained. Even then he still trembled weakly, his chest feeling as if someone had taken a red-hot spear and driven it through his heart.

He barely remembered the last time he had cried so openly, much less to the point of being well past inconsolable.

Finally the last of the sobs subsided, leaving behind naught but painful, hollow trembling in his chest as Rio sunk to the floor. His mind was abuzz with white noise he was too drained to fight, his skull feeling as if it were being torn apart from within. Everything was far too loud and bright – all Rio wanted to do was squeeze his eyes shut, plug his ears, and make it all disappear.

Gradually the throbbing in his head subsided and the room stopped spinning. Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, Rio stumbled to his feet and dragged himself over to his bed, where he slumped and stretched out, closing his eyes once again.

He couldn’t keep going like this – and surely the rest of Argonavis couldn’t, either.

As much as the thought sent him viscerally recoiling, the more the students’ words seeped into Rio’s mind, the more he felt they were right. It just wasn’t right for him to continue staying with Argonavis – not with his fading passion that grew dimmer by the day, and especially not with the secret entangled within him. Surely the more he dragged out telling the truth, the more pain he would inevitably cause everyone – not to mention their reputation being at stake too, with the Live Royale Festival close at hand. And yet to leave after they had come this far felt like giving in to his demons and repeating the mistake of his past. It would be a betrayal of everything he was striving towards – as well as a betrayal of his friends’ trust and companionship.

The thought of his friends’ faces brought a fresh wave of tears to Rio’s eyes, his heart threatening to shatter further as an acrid bitterness stung the back of his throat. Rio clenched his jaw in thought, ignoring the cramp creeping on him as the muscles in his jaw seized. There was no way he could bear to leave them, not after everything they had been through.

His thoughts tumbled over each other, threatening to crumble into dust as dazed heaviness pressed behind his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to simply close his eyes and give up, to push everything away and sleep. And yet the worry and frustration gnawed at him, emotions tormenting, taunting him in their pure, raw form.

He had to do something.

Before long Rio had slipped away without realizing it, drifting in and out of consciousness in a haze. He no longer knew whether he was asleep or awake, or how much time passed. Everything blurred together, melting away into an endless void.

* * *

When Rio finally came to, oppressing silence rang in his ears.

Groaning weakly, Rio stirred and hesitantly stretched the stiffness from his limbs. The light in his room shone harshly, daggers of light lancing his vision. How long had he slept?

Slowly Rio sat up and rose from his bed, then padded over to his desk. The rest of the sharehouse was completely silent – no doubt everyone was asleep by now.

Rio glanced around his room, blinking to give his eyes time to adjust to the brightness. As his vision cleared he sat down and opened his laptop, navigating to the browser. For a moment he paused, his gaze flitting across the open tabs, before opening a new one and staring at the screen silently.

Already his mind was quarreling with itself, his thoughts engaging in a tug-of-war that threatened to split his skull in two. The notion of what he was about to do could be considered as nigh unforgivable, yet it tugged at him relentlessly, feeding on his exhausted despair like a vampire bat drawn to blood. It had latched onto him, clamped its jaws firmly around his mind and sunk its fangs in – there was no shaking it.

Clenching his jaw, Rio drew in a deep breath and inputted a search for next-day flights to Hakodate.

His chest tightened as the results came up. Swallowing the knot in his throat, Rio clicked on the first link he saw and immediately went to select a flight. He quickly noticed that there were two choices for a next day flight – one in the morning, and another in the early afternoon.

For a moment Rio halted to consider both options. No matter which option he picked, it would require him to pack his things and leave in the middle of the night – to make a clean break, so to speak. Besides, even though the afternoon flight allowed for more leeway, Rio figured it’d be best to take the earliest morning train that ran the next day – no matter what happened, he had to get out of Shimokitazawa and to the airport as quickly and quietly as he could, before the others discovered what happened. In this case, the morning flight would undoubtedly suit him better, considering the layout of his plan – after all, once he got to the airport there was no use in loitering around and wasting time.

Yet as Rio’s gaze flitted between the two options, he found himself hesitating. The first option seemed tantalizing at first glance, but the more Rio mulled about it, the more he found himself leaning towards the second. Barring the rest of Argonavis looking for him, the morning flight felt almost rushed in hindsight, even if Rio were to optimize his travel time to the airport. He figured he’d need more time to settle in and rest after the journey there, not to mention accounting for any possible delays or mishaps that could occur.

It didn’t take long, however, for those thoughts to crumble to ash, the phantom acridness stinging the back of Rio’s throat. Deep down he knew those were just flimsy excuses, smoke and mirrors he hid behind to avoid confronting the painful truth in front of him – that he would regret leaving Argonavis and his passion behind, no matter how fickle – not to mention of course that he would be directly responsible for causing Argonavis to collapse.

Could he truly bear the guilt?

Argonavis was different from the other circles Rio had been in the past, no doubt about it – the members formed a close-knit family, one that Rio cherished dearly even if he didn’t express it openly – they were the first true friends he had, and the thought of losing them was like having his heart torn directly from his chest.

But with this secret tearing at him from the inside, Rio couldn’t risk dragging it out and hurting everyone more – in the end, if his secret were to escape, the pain and division it would cause the band would be even more than that of him slipping away on his own. He had to do this to preserve everyone’s happiness, as well as Argonavis’s future – there was no way around it.

Drawing in a deep breath, Rio clicked on the afternoon flight and went to purchase a ticket. From then on his mind went into autopilot, instinctively inputting the required payment information. A few minutes later, the site confirmed his purchase selection and gave him his receipt, flight ticket, and boarding instructions.

Rio stared at the screen for a long moment, a pit settling in his stomach. This was it. There was no turning back now.

Standing, Rio grabbed his bag and tucked his laptop in, before going to pack the rest of the things in his room. Thankfully there wasn’t much – he had brought only the bare necessities with him to Tokyo for convenience and ease of packing – everything he owned easily fit into the large bag he brought with him.

Rio packed swiftly and silently, checking everywhere carefully to ensure he hadn’t left any personal belongings behind. Before long his entire room was bare, everything packed neatly in his bag. He was ready to go.

Hoisting his bag onto his shoulders, Rio slipped stealthily out of his room and down the stairs, halting as he arrived at the living room. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed around at everything – the couch where everyone relaxed, chatted, and watched television together, the piano where he spent hours upon hours composing and improvising, even Pon-chan sleeping peacefully in his bed in the corner of the living room. For a moment Rio’s gaze lingered on the puppy, his chest knotting tighter. There was no doubt he’d miss Pon-chan as much as the rest of Argonavis – after all, Pon-chan was part of the family too.

Finally, Rio clenched his jaw and shook the thoughts from his mind. Him already getting sentimental like this was dangerous, considering he hadn’t even left the sharehouse yet – he had to dedicate himself to his decision, no matter what.

With that Rio turned and opened the front door, taking one last long look at the sharehouse before he stepped out into the night air.

The chilly breeze nipped at his ears and nose as Rio made his way down the path, accompanied only by the quiet glow of the street lamps lighting the way. The wind itself seemed to be singing, a lonely haunting song that settled into Rio’s bones and made his heart ache with longing. A glance up at the sky told Rio it was covered with thick clouds – not a single star was visible. Even the moon was but a faint hazy glow, hints of silver flickering weakly behind the stalwart wall of fog. It seemed as if the sky itself was grieving, hiding a secret of its own Rio was not privy to.

Before long Rio spotted the park up ahead, the lights of the lamps drawing him near. Rio slowed to a halt as he arrived, gazing through the archway inviting him in. A lump formed in his throat as memories drifted to the surface, floating like lily pads on the surface of a lake. So much had happened since Argonavis formed, even more so once they arrived in Tokyo – and now it felt as if he were about to throw it all away.

Rio grit his teeth in frustration, willing the intrusive thoughts to burn away. Now was not the time for guilt-tripping nor hesitation. He was doing this for Argonavis’s sake – surely without him burdening them and dragging them down, they would be able to reach even greater heights than before – they might well even win the Live Royale Festival and head out overseas, making their debut to the rest of the world. And he would be watching them from afar as he did with his old baseball teammates, cheering them on and supporting them in any way he could. After all, Argonavis more than deserved to win this, after having come this far.

As heat rose in Rio’s chest and chased away the cold, he tore his gaze away from the park and stared straight ahead as he continued walking. He had to hurry – there was no time to waste.

Soon Rio found himself making his way through the downtown area, gazing around at the people bustling about as he went. Even in the middle of the night the city was filled with activity, the blindingly bright screens littering the towers throwing brilliant splashes of color onto the pavement. The murmur of traffic and the chatter of pedestrians soon faded into a drone that buzzed in Rio’s ears, the world around him sweeping past like a rushing river. Lowering his head, Rio hurried through the crowds, sticking to the quieter spots lest he get swept up in the chaos and dazzled by the sea of lights.

A winding trek later Rio found himself in front of the train station. For a moment he paused and stared, giving himself time to come to his bearings. The wind whistled hollowly through the air, the sound sending a pang through Rio’s chest.

Rio hoisted his bag up with a quiet huff and walked inside, the scuff of his footsteps across the pavement resounding in his ears. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he was greeted by the vast silence of the station. Ultimately it wasn’t surprising to Rio – after all, the trains were always closed at night until the early hours of the morning – yet standing here and confronting the emptiness in person sent shivers down his spine. Rio scanned his surroundings warily as he searched for a place to rest. He would have to camp in the station overnight – best to find a reasonably comfortable spot.

Finally Rio settled on a secluded corner of the station that had close access to the station’s amenities, yet was also relatively hidden from the crowds. Digging into his bag, Rio pulled out a small blanket, opting to use one of his thicker jackets as a pillow. This would have to do for the night.

With a quiet sigh Rio settled down, painfully aware of the tile’s chill seeping through his clothes. He wordlessly curled up and hugged his knees to his chest to preserve body warmth, the occasional soft beep of the station’s electronics amidst the whistling wind and droning traffic outside his only company.

It wasn’t long before his mind threatened to drift again, worry gnawing at him. Surely the others would panic once they awoke the next morning to the sight of Rio’s empty bedroom – they’d probably attempt to call him as well, and failing that, start a search. The thought of his friends frantically running through the city calling Rio’s name brought a lump to his throat, warmth pressing behind his eyelids. Rio could only numbly watch the images repeat endlessly in his mind, too tired to fight them.

As tears fell from his face to wet his jacket, Rio finally closed his eyes, letting dreamless slumber take him.


	6. From the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rio awakens the next morning to find the rest of Argonavis watching over him. The warmth of their reunion soon brings out the light within…

Rio stirred to the sight of four familiar figures standing over him.

Groggily Rio blinked and stretched with a groan, before furrowing his brow weakly as he sat up and pulled the blanket off of him. His surroundings were but hazy swathes of light and color as his head spun, the drone of the station’s crowd thin in his ears.

“Morning, Rio,” came Ren’s voice, gentle and warm.

Rio blinked away the bleariness and rubbed his eyes, before staring up in confusion. “All of you…all of you came?”

“Of course we did!” Banri spread out his hands. “We won’t just abandon a friend to struggle alone!”

Wataru nodded in agreement. “We’re all here for you, no matter what, and that’s a promise.”

Slowly Rio shook his head, his heart weightless as his breath caught in his throat. Though their figures were silhouetted by the light of the rising sun behind them, there was no mistaking the cadences of their voices.

Vexation mingled with a myriad of other emotions as Rio gaped at his friends wordlessly, questions swirling in his mind. Yet as he opened his mouth to speak, they all died on his lips.

Yuto stepped forward and held out a hand, the tremble in his voice palpable. “Please, come back to us.” 

“Everyone…”

The kindness in everyone’s voices sent Rio’s heart fluttering, a smile spreading across his face even as tears pricked at his eyes. Without hesitating he accepted Yuto’s hand, allowing the latter to pull him to his feet. Now that he got a clear look at everyone’s faces, he could see their gentle, comforting smiles that filled his chest with magma.

Before Rio knew it he threw his arms around everyone, choked sobs escaping before he could stop himself. Warmth shrouded him as the others returned the embrace and melted into each other, emotions overflowing as hot tears that spilled like rain trailing down glass. The breeze ruffled their hair and whispered to them as all of Argonavis cuddled each other tenderly, letting themselves drift in the gentle silence that remained.

As the five finally parted, a soft, soothing scent wafted over to them. They inhaled quietly and deeply, letting it fill them with serenity as the wind dried their tears. Tremulous silence stretched through the air, heavy with unspoken emotions and thoughts.

Again Rio found his mind sluggish, the lingering agony of sleep still wearing on him. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak only for his breath to lodge in his throat as all thoughts fled him.

What was there to say?

To be frank, he couldn’t tell if any of this was real – overwhelmed by emotion and exhaustion, all he could do was look around in a daze as his head throbbed relentlessly. Even if it was a dream, he had to admit that it was an incredibly moving one – one that he hoped against hope was real.

Once again it wasn’t long before Rio found himself questioning everything. How did the rest of Argonavis know he was going to leave, much less that he would come here? And how long did they spend here, waiting for him to awaken?

Rio bit his tongue, hoping the sharp pain would clear his mind. Instead it only intensified the dizziness, leading him to shake his head with a grimace. As he leaned forward Yuto caught him, brow furrowed in concern.

“Hey, are you alright?” Yuto’s voice was tinged with concern as he held Rio’s shoulders gently.

“Yeah, I’m…” Rio’s response cut off in a yawn. “I’m fine, just tired.”

Gently he leaned into Yuto, surrendering to the heaviness pressing on his eyelids. He felt Yuto’s chest rumble with a soft chuckle as Yuto wrapped his arms around Rio, pulling the latter close. Even as exhaustion weighed further on him Rio pinched his lip between his teeth in a desperate attempt to fight it. He couldn’t fall asleep again, not just yet.

“It’s alright, Rio,” Yuto murmured soothingly as he rubbed Rio’s back. “You can rest. We’ll be watching over you.”

“Mhm,” Rio mumbled, a small smile slipping across his face.

Before long he had fallen fast asleep on Yuto’s shoulder, the others watching with content, warm smiles of their own as they all snuggled close.

* * *

When Rio stirred once again, he found himself nestled with everyone in a gentle embrace on the floor as the others slept peacefully.

A smile drifted across Rio’s face as he gazed around at his friends, his heart melting in the comforting warmth that shrouded everyone like an invisible, yet thick and cozy blanket. He had to admit, it was the most content he had felt in quite a while – most certainly the happiest he had felt since the last few days.

How he wished this moment of joy could last.

Rio snuggled into everyone, letting the soft cadences of everyone’s breaths lull him. He couldn’t help but wonder what they were dreaming about – he hoped that they were happy dreams, or at least peaceful ones. For now, he was content to watch over them, just as they had watched over him.

Rio perked up as Yuto giggled, nestling into everyone with a warm grin. Rio couldn’t help a joyful smile of his own as he cuddled Yuto close and stroked his hair gently. Ren, Wataru, and Banri seemed to melt too, soft chuckles flitting through the air. Rio hugged everyone tight, memories of all the times Argonavis laughed together sending his heart soaring.

Around them the station murmured with activity, people drifting in and out among the walkways. No one seemed to notice a group of five snuggled in a secluded corner, relaxing in a cozy pocket of serenity. It was as if Argonavis were hidden in plain sight, in their own dimension of space and time.

Rio perked up as Ren stirred with a groan. Smiling, Rio placed a hand on Ren’s shoulder. “Good morning, Nanahoshi.”

“Morning, Rio,” Ren replied with a drowsy smile.

One by one the others also awoke, stretching out lazily as they blinked away the lingering sleepiness. Rio watched them fondly, warmth swelling in his chest. “Did you all sleep well?”

Everyone nodded in affirmation, their eyes sparkling. Rio’s heart melted into a puddle of joy as he took in everyone’s smiles, warm and radiant.

They all turned to gaze towards the morning sunlight streaming in, warm and inviting despite the chilly breeze. The latter drew them from their reverie as it whistled through the air, simultaneously caressing them while carrying an edge that sent goosebumps and shivers rising.

“Shall we get going?” Yuto asked, gesturing towards the station entryway.

Rio blinked. “Where to?”

“Home, of course,” Wataru replied with a warm smile.

“Home…”

The word sent bittersweetness prickling across Rio’s tongue as he hung his head. The guilt of betrayal threatened to creep up on him, its shadows darkening his vision like clouds covering the sun.

Rio closed his eyes, silently reaching for a grip on his thoughts. He was now driven into a corner – if he tried to leave now, he’d only raise his friends’ suspicion further, possibly sending them into a panic and wreaking havoc. Yet the thought of breaking the news to them pierced his heart, his lungs feeling as if someone had sucked all the air out of them.

Rio grimaced inwardly as he grew acutely aware of his friends’ concerned gazes. The more he wrangled the possibilities in his mind, the deeper the pit in his stomach sank.

Was this what it was like to feel afraid?

Finally Rio opened his eyes and raised his head to face everyone, his mouth dry as sandpaper as his heart hammered against his ribcage. Drawing in a deep breath, he forced the words out.

“I’m sorry. I can’t go back.”

Everyone’s faces morphed into expressions of confusion as they exchanged glances.

“What do you mean?” Wataru tilted his head.

“I…” Rio trailed off as he desperately gulped down the bile creeping up his throat. The next words lodged in his throat, even as they ran circles around each other in his mind.

“Seriously, we come all the way here to get you and even watch over you through the night, only for you to say you can’t come back?” Banri folded his arms across his chest, the steeliness in his voice unmistakable. “You’d better have a good reason for it.”

Rio grit his teeth as Banri’s words sliced the air like a knife. The walls seemed to close in around him, the warm rays of sunlight from before slipping away into darkness.

“Whatever’s bothering you, it’s okay to tell us,” Ren said as he held out a hand. “We’re all your friends, and we’re all here for you.”

“I know.” The words came out brusque, harsher than Rio would’ve liked. Immediately Rio was repaid with a pang of guilt as Ren recoiled with a quiet gasp, the others’ brows furrowed in worry.

“I don’t know if it’s because they hate the idea of people worrying about them, but there are many who just decide to keep silent about their issues.”

Rio’s eyebrows shot up as he turned towards Yuto.

“It rings a bell to you, doesn’t it?” Yuto’s voice was thick with irony as he pinned Rio with a gaze that seemed to penetrate his soul. “Those were your own words to us, and yet now we find ourselves asking you the same. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Rio bit back a wry chuckle tickling his throat as he shook his head resignedly. “I suppose you’ve got me there.” Never had he expected that they would remember it down to the letter, much less bring it up now. It was ironically fitting, indeed.

“So, what’s the reason?” Yuto pressed. “For not being able to return home with us.”

Rio bit his cheek as he again faltered for words, coppery bitterness spreading across his tongue. Did Goryo really need to phrase it that way?

Finally Rio sighed and hung his head, bracing himself with a deep breath. There was no turning back now.

“I bought a plane ticket to fly back to Hakodate later today.”

His words hung in a silence thick enough to touch, a silence that rang louder every second as it threatened to crush him.

“After everything that happened last night, I…I couldn’t take it anymore.” Rio’s voice hitched as his stomach twisted into tight, painful knots. “Everything those students said – about us fighting, my fading passion, even the secret they mentioned – it’s all true.” Each word stung, sharp and heavy as it fell from Rio’s lips. Already he could feel a beast roaring in agony from within, its claws tearing at him from the inside. Yet he forced himself to continue, squeezing out every word even as it left him panting for breath.

“In truth, I’ve been struggling for nearly a month, if not more – it’s become harder and harder to compose, to the point where I felt like I was falling apart. You all saw that when I played my song for you yesterday during rehearsal.” Already tears were trailing down his face, a low, choked sob threatening to break loose. “But I knew that all of you were relying on me. All of you had great expectations of me as everyone else around me did, and I didn’t want to disappoint you. I was so terrified of letting you all down that all I could think of doing was running away.”

Rio drew in a shaky breath in a futile attempt to steady himself, sobs once again wracking his body. “I’m sorry, everyone. I’m sorry for keeping all of this from you, and for causing you all so much pain.” By now Rio could no longer hold back his tears, nor did he have the will to stop them. He hated how much his voice trembled, how much he had lost control of himself. Yet a part of him also found it cathartic to allow his emotions to flow so freely.

Vaguely Rio could sense the others watching him in silent concern, unsure of what to say. Gulping down deep, silent breaths of air in an attempt to steady himself, Rio lowered his head and wiped his tears on his sleeve, quiet sniffles and hiccups insistently nagging him.

Rio stiffened as he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. Glancing up, he found himself face to face with Wataru, the latter giving Rio an earnest gaze.

“Matoba…” Rio’s voice was but a hoarse whisper as he stared in silent confusion.

“We’re always here for you no matter what, Kikyo.” Wataru smiled kindly, warmly as he squeezed Rio’s shoulders. “No matter how harsh the storm, no matter how dark the path, no matter how many times you stumble and fall, we’ll be here to help you up again. You just need to let us in.”

Yuto nodded in agreement. “Everyone stumbles and falls sometimes. After all, we’re human, and no one is perfect, geniuses included. But no matter what, Argonavis is your family, Rio, and family always looks out for each other.”

Rio glanced between Wataru and Yuto quietly, his breath catching in his throat. Even as he found himself at a loss for words, warmth flooded through him, threatening to sweep him away.

“Besides, there’s no reason to worry about your flight anyway,” Banri chimed in as he held up a slip of paper.

Rio’s eyes widened as it caught his gaze. “Wait, you don’t mean—”

Banri nodded, his eyes narrowing a touch. “You can bet we canceled your flight the moment we saw this. It was all we needed.”

Stunned confusion lodged itself forcefully in Rio’s chest, rendering him speechless as he gaped at Banri. For a moment a flash of anger erupted like a spout of magma in Rio’s gut, only to immediately cool when he caught Ren’s gaze.

“Even if you tried to leave, we won’t let you.” Ren’s voice burned with determination as he locked eyes with Rio. “Because you are everything to us – we wouldn’t be Argonavis without you.”

Banri clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed in determination. “We’ll physically drag you all the way back here if that’s what it takes. We won’t let you go that easily, no matter how hard you try!”

At their statements, the vexation swirling within Rio gave way to a combination of resignation and helpless amusement. All Rio could do was duck his head in hopes of hiding the knowing smile spreading across his face – though it did little to conceal the giggle that floated through the air. To his surprise his friends joined in, their voices warm and bright as they mingled with his. Together their laughter soared on the wind, dreamy as it melted away the darkness.

A warm embrace swept away all else as the five hugged each other tight, clinging to each other as if they’d never let go. Joy rose and bloomed, glowing flowers that sent threads of light weaving through the air and dying their surroundings in ethereal color.

Even as they quieted everyone snuggled close, content smiles lingering on their faces as they closed their eyes and drifted peacefully. The sun’s rays bathed them in soothing light and warmth, adding to the cozy atmosphere.

Gratitude and joy suffused Rio’s chest, filling him with a nearly giddy warmth. Never had he imagined such a seemingly insurmountable conflict resolved this way, yet he treasured Argonavis even more for it. With his friends at his side, there was no need for him to worry – steadfast companionship would light the way, pushing everyone ever forward.

Rio perked up as a gentle nudge stirred him from his reverie. Turning, he smiled as Yuto nodded and held out a hand. Together they both stood and helped the others up, before gazing around and taking in the sights and sounds of the station. Everything seemed a touch brighter, clearer, more vivid – as if they were finally awakening from a dream.

Turning, Rio picked up his blanket and jacket from the floor and dusted them off before tucking them into a spare pouch in his bag and hoisting said bag up onto his shoulders. As everyone stood, Rio turned to glance at his friends, his heart leaping as he returned their smiles.

Together the five nodded at each other, then slipped back out into the drifting crowds and made their way towards the beckoning sun.


	7. Beginning Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his friends' encouragement, Rio picks himself up and faces his feelings head-on at the piano. What results is…

Step by step, everyone made their way forward into the light.

The bustling street outside the railway station greeted Argonavis as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. For a moment the sunlight bore down on them garishly, causing everyone to squint and shade their eyes as they gazed up at the sky.

“So bright…” Ren murmured.

Rio nodded in agreement as tears stung his eyes from the brightness. Chuckling to himself, he lowered his head and wiped his eyes before letting his gaze wander again, blinking away the bright splotches of color lingering at the edge of his vision.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rio saw Wataru furrow his brow in concern. “You alright, Kikyo?”

Rio nodded with a reassuring smile. “I’m alright, don’t worry.”

Rio stretched himself out with a content sigh as he gazed around at the sea of people. Now that they were out in the open, everything seemed so much brighter and livelier, especially considering the contrast of the lonely walk from the night prior. Now that the rest of Agonavis were by his side and that they had emerged from the storm, it was as if they had been reborn anew.

A gentle squeeze of his hand tugged Rio from his thoughts. Turning, he saw everyone smiling and nodding at him, all holding hands. Rio nodded back at them, his eyes shining as his heart fluttered.

Yuto turned to the street ahead, his face lighting up with a joyous shout.

“Let’s go!”

With that Argonavis took off running, giddy, wild laughter spilling through the air as their hearts sprouted wings and took flight. The world rushed by them in a blur of color as the wind cheered them on and whisked their voices skyward. It was almost as if they were dancing to a song only they could hear.

A breathless, joyful run later the five found themselves at the park, where they were greeted by the twittering of birdsong and vivid splashes of color from blooming flowers. They entered without hesitation, only slowing down once they arrived at a secluded cluster of benches nestled in the shade of a branching tree. As Argonavis stopped to catch their breaths they gazed around, taking in the peaceful beauty of the scenery.

Placing his bag down on the grass, Rio drew in a deep breath, letting the crisp air fill his lungs. A wide smile spread across his face as he exhaled and glanced back at his friends once again, his heart swelling nearly to bursting with joy and gratitude – so full it was that Rio thought he might not be able to bear it. Everything was bright and warm, almost giddy, even. For a moment Rio turned his gaze skyward once again, his eyes following a small flock of birds as they soared on the breeze. As they vanished into the distance Rio let his eyes flutter shut as he basked in the sun’s warmth.

“All of this feels surreal…” The words slipped from Rio in a murmur as he turned back towards everyone once again. “Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if I’m dreaming—”

His words cut off in a gasp as someone jabbed his side. Turning, he came face-to-face with Banri, who was wearing what Rio could only call a devilish grin.

“You’re wrong – everything is real,” Banri replied with a wink. “And I’ll prove it!”

“Is that so?” Rio arched an eyebrow even as he bit back a grin of his own. “I’m all ears.”

Banri’s grin widened dangerously in response. “You won’t even see it coming!”

Before anyone could react Banri launched himself at Rio and exploded in a playfully wild tickling flurry. Rio could only double over roaring with hysterical laughter, his heart leaping and bounding as it sang. Vaguely he could hear the others’ giggles soaring alongside his.

Righting himself, Rio grinned as he lunged at Banri in return. “Get ready!”

With that Rio and Banri tumbled over each other in a free-for-all tickle war, their laughter blooming wild as they romped. The other three watched in amusement, giggling and cheering the both of them on.

Before they knew it the five of them found themselves tangled together on the grass in a haphazard embrace, their voices continuing to burn the sky. Magma-like euphoria left a trail of blooming flowers in its wake as it blazed ever higher, bright as the sun itself.

Gradually the whirlwind of flame died down, leaving behind only a peaceful warmth as the remaining embers continued to flicker gently. All of Argonavis snuggled together, cozy and warm as they contently gazed up at the sky. Peace fluttered down and settled around them in a comforting shroud, soothing as it lulled them into dreamy serenity.

As the breeze wafted gently, a hum rose to Rio’s lips. The melody from days before resurfaced, this time rooting itself firmly in his mind. It wasn’t long before Rio was singing openly, eyes closed in contentment as he was swept away by the music, all else yielding to it. Heat swelled within his chest, his heart fluttering higher as confidence and joy infused every note. To sing this freely after all that had happened nearly felt like nothing short of a miracle.

Gradually his improvisational sojourn came to an end, the last notes reverberating deep in his throat as they floated on the breeze. As Rio’s eyes slowly fluttered open, only then did he realize that the rest of Argonavis were staring at him, slack-jawed.

“That was…” Yuto began, eyes wide.

“That was unlike anything we’ve ever heard,” Wataru finished, voice low in awe.

Rio tilted his head bemusedly. “You think so?”

Ren’s eyes sparkled as he gave Rio an eager nod. “That was seriously amazing! The melody felt so warm and bright and alive – it was as if we were flying!”

“Sounds like you’re back to your usual self for sure,” Banri added with a relieved smile. “Never have I been so glad to hear you sing like this.”

Rio’s heart leapt at his friends’ words, a joyous passion burning to life within him. Suddenly he felt the urge to leap to his feet and run, to sing and compose with everything he had. Higher and higher the fire grew until Rio was sure it would consume him entirely.

“And it looks like you’re getting fired up again!” Banri cheered. “That look in your eyes is getting me hyped up too!”

It was only then that Rio realized the grin stretching across his face. He nodded earnestly, pressing one hand to his chest. “I want to start composing as soon as possible.”

“Then let’s get back to the sharehouse right away!” Yuto leapt to his feet before perking up. “Er, or would you guys prefer the studio?”

Rio shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m alright with either one.”

“But what about all your stuff?” Wataru gestured at Rio’s bag. “Surely it’d be inconvenient to constantly carry your bag around everywhere we go.”

“Oh, right.” Rio chuckled sheepishly as he glanced back at his bag. “Then I suppose we’ll have to return to the sharehouse regardless, won’t we?”

He perked up as a faint smell tickled his nose. Turning towards it, Rio found himself staring at the crepe truck parked in its usual spot on the curb. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly, sending sharp hunger pangs roiling through him.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," Yuto chuckled.

Wataru perked up with a sheepish grin as his stomach also growled audibly. "Looks like that makes two of us. Maybe we should get something to eat before we head back."

“That crepe truck…” Ren tilted his head. “I’ve never tried anything from there, though I’ve heard good things about it.”

“Their crepes are really popular around here,” Banri chimed in. “And they're surprisingly cheap too, at least compared to other restaurants in the area.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Rio saw Wataru light up. “Their strawberry crepes are the best! You’ve _got_ to try them out!”

“And it looks like they have curry too?!” Yuto’s eyebrows shot up as he noticed the menu board next to the truck. “No wonder Rio seems fixated on it…”

“You don’t say,” Wataru chuckled. “If it’s one thing Kikyo likes more than anything else, it’s curry.”

“Shall we go try it out then?” Banri asked as he stood and gestured towards the truck.

Already Yuto was running towards it eagerly. “I’m definitely getting some!”

“Hold up, Yu!” Wataru shouted as he sprinted after. “At least wait for the rest of us!”

Rio could only chuckle and shake his head amusedly as he stood and followed the duo, Ren and Banri close behind.

By the time the trio arrived at the truck, Yuto and Wataru were already placing their orders. Rio wandered over and glanced over the menu curiously, searching for the familiar curry. The moment he saw it Rio went to place his order, getting the largest size available. To his amusement, he noticed that everyone else also ordered similarly large portions of food – it seemed that the hunger wasn’t lost on anyone.

Once everyone got their food, they returned to their spot and settled down to eat, the warm aromas wafting through the air inviting them to dig in. Together they snuggled close and ate contently, basking in the balmy atmosphere.

Rio melted as he dug into his curry, letting the warm, rich flavors melt over his tongue. Eating out in the open, sharing a meal with cherished friends, always seemed to make everything taste so much better.

A tap on his shoulder caused Rio to perk up. Turning, he saw Yuto holding a bottle of Napolin towards him with a smile. Rio noticed four more bottles peeking out on the grass next to Yuto.

Rio couldn’t help but tilt his head bemusedly. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah!” Yuto nodded cheerily. “Delicious things are even better when shared with friends, after all!”

Rio’s features relaxed into a smile as he nodded and accepted the bottle. “I suppose you may be right.”

Curiously Rio inspected the bottle, turning it over in his hand. Normally Yuto was quite protective of his Napolin, given how rare it was in Tokyo – as far as Rio knew, the only way they could purchase Napolin here was through ordering it online and having it shipped from Hakodate, making it quite an expensive luxury even in the best of times. So what prompted Yuto to share so much of it now?

“Come on, let’s toast!” Yuto’s voice roused Rio from his thoughts as the former held up his bottle. “To our friendship, the light that always guides us forward!”

Rio chuckled and held up his bottle too. “I can toast to that.”

Gazing around, his heart fluttered as he saw Ren, Wataru, and Banri beam and nod in agreement. Together the five raised their bottles and tapped them together, an unanimous cheer ringing out.

Contently Rio opened his bottle and took a sip, savoring the Napolin’s cold tangy sweetness as the fizz tickled his tongue. He immediately drew in a series of deeper sips, soon draining nearly half of the bottle as he finally relaxed and sighed contently. No matter Goryo liked Napolin so much.

A glance around told Rio that everyone else was savoring their Napolin as well – all save for Yuto, who was fiddling with his bottle while mumbling under his breath.

Rio tilted his head quizzically as Yuto uttered a low growl, brows knit together in concentration. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Yuto grumbled. “Though it’d certainly be better if this bottle cooperated.”

“You sure, Yu?” Wataru arched an eyebrow. “It’s not like you to have so much trouble with it – especially as all of ours opened without any issues.”

“Call yourselves lucky then,” Yuto retorted as he took to vigorously shaking the bottle. Yet Rio thought he could detect a playfulness hidden beneath Yuto’s vexed facade, no doubt aided by the hints of a grin slipping through the cracks.

Finally, Yuto squeezed his bottle with a determined nod as he attempted to unscrew the cap again. “This should do it.”

“Wait!” Banri cried. “Since you shook it, it’ll be high pressure! Watch out!”

“I’ll be fine!” Yuto waved Banri’s concern away. “I’ve done it before!”

“Are you crazy?” Wataru’s voice rose as he reached out frantically. “If you aren’t careful, the bottle will explode and—”

 _“I said, I’ll be fine!”_ Yuto shouted as he gave the cap a particularly sharp twist…

…Only for the cap to fly off the bottle as a burst of Napolin sprayed Yuto directly in the face.

A stunned beat fell upon the group as they all stared at each other. Yuto looked himself over in disbelief, soda dripping from his face and hair to soak his clothes.

The silence between stretched tauter with every second, until they thought it would snap. Yet simultaneously giggles bubbled up from within, rushing to the surface like a river of magma.

Before everyone knew it, their voices erupted, wild and hot as they bloomed and weaved together in a tapestry of light. Joyful, hysterical laughter spilled out and tumbled through the air, light and carefree as their hearts sang.

“I told you this would happen!” Wataru shouted in between gasps.

“I know!” Yuto grinned widely, eyes sparkling. “And yet it worked anyway, didn’t it?”

As the five finally caught their breaths, they all caught each other’s gazes, eyes shining with exuberance. Yuto in particular seemed to be glowing, the brilliance radiating from him nearly blinding as he bounced excitedly.

“It worked! It really worked!” Yuto cried, his voice overflowing with joy. “I can’t believe it!”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Ren asked. “You opening the bottle, or…?”

Yuto simply winked and grinned in response. Rio tilted his head and furrowed his brow quizzically, then perked up. “You knew exactly what was going to happen, yet you chose to do it anyway – is that right?”

“You got it!” Yuto nodded, his eyes widening. “How’d you guess?”

“Your actions gave it away – there’s no way you would’ve had this much trouble normally, not to mention going as far as to intentionally agitate the bottle and spray yourself.” A knowing smile crept across Rio’s face as he nodded. “You were overjoyed by the sight of all of us laughing together and you wanted to make it happen again and again, even if it meant making a fool of yourself.”

Yuto nodded eagerly. “It was totally worth it! And I’d do it a thousand times over if it meant everyone smiling and laughing happily like this!”

Rio’s heart soared at Yuto’s words, joy blooming and taking flight. Before he knew it he had thrown his arms around Yuto, the fruity, sweet carbonated scent of the Napolin wafting off the latter's soda-soaked hair and clothes inundating Rio's nostrils. Yuto stiffened in surprise for a moment, before happily returning the embrace and snuggling close. The others soon followed suit, giddy warmth shrouding everyone for a long, peaceful moment.

Even as they parted the world around them lulled dreamily, before a mix of scents gently tugged them from their trance. It was then that they remembered their half-eaten plates of food waiting patiently for them.

“We should probably finish our food and head back,” Wataru suggested.

Banri nodded in agreement. “It’d be a shame to waste such good food after we went through the trouble of buying it, after all.”

Already Rio had grabbed his plate and was quietly shoveling the curry into his mouth, acutely aware of the new hunger pangs roiling through him. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Rio could see the others had picked up the cue and were wolfing down their food just as eagerly.

As they finished up, Rio found his mind racing again, hints of musical phrases and chords flitting around his mind. His heart began to race at those thoughts, excitement threading its way through him.

“Ready to head back?” Yuto asked.

Rio nodded enthusiastically as he grabbed his bag. “I certainly am.”

“Me too,” Wataru chimed in as he and the others also nodded in agreement. “I think we’ve spent enough time here.”

“Alright!, then let’s go!” Yuto called as he took off down the path, leading everyone on the familiar route home.

The moment Argonavis arrived back at their sharehouse Rio went straight towards the piano and placed his bag down next to it, his gaze flitting over the keys as he sat down on the bench. Pulling out his phone, he readied it to record before placing it on the music stand. The others gathered behind him, curious expectancy hanging in the air.

Rio drew in a deep breath, clearing his mind as he placed his hands on the keys. Now that he found himself sitting in front of the piano, his heart began to flutter anew, whether it be from excitement, nervousness, or something else, he could not tell. Even then, he found his fingers frozen, the notes refusing to come. His breath caught in his throat, the emotions tangled within piling upon each other painfully.

“You can do it, Rio.”

Rio perked up and glanced behind him to find the others giving him reassuring smiles.

“Just let your emotions flow and lead the way,” Wataru said. “Besides, you have us by your side too.”

“Even if I’m confronting them?” The words felt foolish as they slipped from Rio’s mouth, yet he couldn’t help them.

Ren nodded. “Even though they may be painful, you’re not alone. We all believe in you, and we’ll be cheering you on.”

“Confronting those emotions will help you grow, too,” Banri chimed in. “After all, no pain, no gain, right?”

Rio chuckled with a nod. “Certainly.”

“You got this.” Yuto gave Rio a thumbs-up. “No matter where you go, we’ll be running alongside you the whole way.”

Rio straightened and nodded, a familiar fire rising to burn away the anxious knots in his chest. The others were right. Surely, he could do it – it was finally time to bring his emotions to life and confront them in the only way he knew how.

With that, Rio turned to the keyboard and began to play.

From the first note, the sleeping melody cried out from deep within Rio’s heart, begging with all its heart to be released. He surrendered to it, letting his wildly dancing soul pave the way as dazzling splashes of melodic color painted the silence. His fingers danced over the keys in a flurry, a dancelike, upbeat melody arcing through the air.

With a deep breath Rio began to sing, searching inside of himself for the raw, painful emotions that he had once vowed to forever lock away deep in the recesses of his heart. Coaxed by his melody, they burst forth, entangling themselves within his lyrics and cleaving their way through the fog.

With the path laid open before him, Rio galloped ahead at full speed, letting nothing stand in his way. His voice rose dizzyingly as he sang with all he had, his heart roaring from within the tumultuous whirlwind. Before long, jagged, needlelike memories rose to the surface to lash mercilessly at him – yet this time, instead of succumbing to the pain, Rio let it guide him, turning to the light that would pave the way.

Though the road of trials was long and arduous, it led him to where he was now – and thus he came to treasure those memories and experiences, no matter how painful they were. They all grew and reflected themselves in this song – it was as if Rio was gazing at himself in the mirror, staring his reflection directly in the eyes without turning away.

Finally the tempest of passion relented, the air growing still as the final chords faded into ringing silence. Rio panted heavily as he leaned over the keyboard, sweat trickling down his forehead and the back of his neck. His heart thumped against his ribcage as he closed his eyes and gradually recollected himself.

As Rio opened his eyes and turned towards the rest of Argonavis, he found them staring at him in wide-eyed speechlessness. He silently gulped, his chest tightening as a long beat stretched out.

“What did you think?” Rio ventured, painfully aware of how his words hung in the empty air.

His gut twisted as no one answered him. Rio lowered his head, fervor giving way to anxious bewilderment. Did they dislike it? Was it too much for them to bear?

Rio’s gaze flitted between everyone as he licked his lips nervously. “Everyone…?”

This time his words seemed to snap his friends out of their daze, the other four startling and shaking themselves off. Even then, there was no mistaking the shock in their expressions.

“This is no doubt a side of you we’ve never seen before,” Wataru finally replied. His voice quavered low, as if he were stirring from a trance. “It…I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I assume that you don’t like it, then?” The words tumbled from Rio before he could stop himself, his stomach sinking.

“No, it’s not that at all!” Wataru exclaimed. “It’s just…it’s so different from how you normally are, and…” Wataru trailed off, chewing his lip as he averted his gaze. “It was just really surprising, is all.”

Yuto nodded in agreement as he chimed in. “The power and emotion in your lyrics blew me away – I could feel it deep inside of me. To be honest, it was really painful, and yet it also felt…refreshing, almost? I mean, the fact that we just saw a completely different side of you that you've never shown us before.”

“Yuto-kun’s right.” Banri folded his arms as his gaze flitted towards Rio’s phone. “It shows that you’re willing to be honest with yourself and your emotions, and that you aren’t afraid of them anymore.”

Rio could only stare at his friends as he floundered for words. Finally, he simply nodded. “I suppose you could put it that way.”

“Regardless, everything about that was amazing!” Ren’s voice sparkled as he gave Rio a warm smile. “That you were able to come up with such complex melodies and heartfelt lyrics on the spot and sing them the way you did…all of it made my heart race!” He swept the others with a joyful gaze, eyes shining. “Right, guys?” 

The warmth of Ren’s words pulled everyone from their thoughts as they all nodded and smiled at each other. Like shafts of sunlight piercing through fog the atmosphere brightened, content warmth and determination chasing away all remaining traces of uncertainty.

Smiling, Rio reached over and pat the barn owl plush perched next to the piano stand. The path ahead shone brighter than ever, the light filling his heart with blazing adrenaline. Now that he knew what to do, his determination was set in stone. He wouldn’t turn back or give up, no matter what.

“I suppose this is it, then,” Rio said as he turned towards his friends once again. “This time, I would like to both write the lyrics and compose the song, if that’s alright with you.”

“Are you sure about that?” Wataru asked, furrowing his brow. “Wouldn’t that be pushing yourself a bit too much?”

Rio responded with a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine. I know what to do, and besides, I’d like to show you all more of this side of me you haven’t seen.”

Out of the corner of his eye Rio saw Banri nod, though his expression was also tinged with worry. “But make sure not to overwork yourself as well – the last thing we want is for you to collapse while presenting the song to us.”

“I’ll be sure not to,” Rio replied gently as he nodded at Banri in acknowledgment. “Despite that, I appreciate your concern.”

Yuto winked and gave Rio a hearty thumbs-up. “We have faith in you! I’m excited to see what you come up with!”

“I can’t wait to hear it as well!” Ren exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. “Do your best, Rio!”

“Judging from what we’ve heard just now, I’m sure the final piece will be outstanding,” Wataru chimed in with a nod of agreement.

“Mhm!” Banri grinned cheerily. “Let’s keep on running forward until the very end!”

Rio’s heart swelled in gratitude as a wide smile stretched across his face. “Thank you, everyone. Truly.”

The surroundings seemed to shine brighter than ever before as Argonavis turned to gaze out the window. It was as if flowers had begun to bloom in the air, threads of light weaving through the sunlight streaming into the room, imbuing everything they touched with sparkling brilliance. From within the light, confidence and hope bloomed and spread their wongs – confidence that everything was made right once again, and hope that this song would carry everyone’s will into the future.

From within the light, the gears of time began to turn once again as Rio took his next steps forward.


	8. Passionate Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Rio's reignited passion a new song takes form. As Rio pours everything he has into it, a long-lost feeling stirs to life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I apologize for publishing this finale later than usual – real life caught up to me more than I expected, leaving me unable to work on the chapter as much as I'd liked. I appreciate all of your patience, and I hope you enjoy!

Rio continued working on his composition late into the night. Step by step he forged forward, searching within himself for the feelings that came to the surface and bloomed that day.

The music came easily, flowing from his fingers like the current of a rushing river as he built upon the groundwork laid down in his earlier improvisations. Rio relished playing with the harmonies, weaving the long threads of the melodies between the parts – sometimes diving deep down to mingle within the richly reverberating chords, before spreading their wings and taking flight to soar above it all. Between the upbeat rhythm and the playfully dancing harmonies, Rio was vividly reminded of Argonavis’s carefree romp, euphoric laughter soaring through the air. The memories sent Rio’s heart fluttering weightlessly as a smile spread across his face. He made sure to capture that joy within the music – after all, it was just as invaluable as the other myriad of emotions swirling within. 

In sharp contrast to the music, however, the remnants of the lyrics seemed intent on vexing him at every turn. Once Rio had jotted down the lyrics he sang in the recording, he found them staring him in the face in all their clumsy abrasiveness. Without the backdrop of the music and spontaneous passion, the words felt off-kilter. What exactly was off about them Rio couldn’t place his finger on quite yet, but simply glancing over them was enough to set a knot of embarrassment tightening in his stomach.

Over and over he adjusted and rewrote the lyrics, singing them in tandem with the melody to see if they would fit. It wasn't long before he discovered that juggling both the lyrics and the melody on his own was no easy feat – how could he keep the integrity of the music intact while imbuing the lyrics with the same earnestness that Matoba always had?

More than a few times did Rio consider changing the melody to fit the lyrics he wanted to convey, only to realize that doing so would quickly devolve into a never-ending loop of the two chasing each other until they both became unrecognizable shells of their former selves. With that in mind, Rio opted to keep the music as it was and stuck to altering the lyrics to fit that. Even then, he continued to struggle – more often than not the words came out too gaudy or fell flat, or simply weren’t able to convey what Rio wanted within the given constraints. As time wore on the frustration bubbling up inside of him grew, fueled by the similarly increasing number of discarded pages in his notebook. Needless to say, this wasn’t going anywhere.

Rio plinked away at the keyboard, whispering the latest iteration of the lyrics to himself before shaking his head with a defeated sigh. Drawing in a deep breath, he raised his head and closed his eyes, giving himself a moment to recenter. Eventually, he opened his eyes and groaned to himself as his gaze flitted to his notebook.

“I can’t show it to the others like this…” The words slipped free in a low murmur as Rio clenched his jaw and readied to start again. “So I won’t give up until I get it right—”

“Rio-kun?”

Rio startled with a gasp and turned to find Banri standing at the bottom of the stairs, head tilted quizzically.

“Shiroishi…” Rio chuckled helplessly as he relaxed. “My apologies – I was so focused on composing I didn’t realize you were here.”

Banri waved away Rio’s apology as he walked over to the piano. “No need to worry – I should be the one apologizing for startling you.” He halted as he glanced at Rio’s notebook. “You’ve been up composing all this time?”

“Well, working on the lyrics, more like,” Rio replied with a sheepish chuckle. “As you can probably tell, it’s not going as well as I hoped.”

Banri furrowed his brow for a moment, then gestured towards the kitchen with an inviting smile. “In that case, how about a break? It’s clear you’ve been at them for quite a while – maybe a refresher to clear your head might do the trick.”

Rio smiled fondly as he stood to follow Banri. “I suppose you might be right.”

Together they made their way to the kitchen, where Banri went to prepare two mugs of hot milk. Rio stretched out the exhausted tension from his limbs and watched contently, basking in the quiet, cozy atmosphere.

A few minutes later Banri emerged, mugs in hand. Rio inhaled with a serene smile as the drink's soothing scent wafted over to him.

“Here you go,” Banri said as he held out Rio’s mug. “Careful, it’s hot.”

“Thank you, Shiroishi.” Rio accepted the mug gratefully, frissons running down his body from the warmth as he cupped it in his hands.

Rio and Banri headed to the living room and sat on the couch, sipping their milk quietly. Rio felt himself melt in the warmth that flooded through him, a hint of creamy, floral sweetness lingering on his tongue.

“This is delicious,” Rio said as he smiled at Banri. “Did you put honey in it?”

“Just a little bit – your taste buds are very perceptive.” Banri nodded and smiled back. “This has always been one of my favorite nightly drinks whenever I had trouble sleeping, ever since I was little. I’m glad you like it as well.”

Rio let his gaze wander lazily around the living room as he relaxed and sipped his milk contently. The frustrated tension from earlier was all but gone, replaced by a peaceful serenity that cleared away the fog clouding his thoughts. Along with that came a pleasant drowsiness settling deep into his blood and pressing gently down on his eyelids.

Rio placed his mug on the table before leaning back and nestled his head on the sofa, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. Perhaps he could allow himself a short rest for now.

“Maybe you should go and sleep.” Rio could sense Banri’s concerned gaze on him.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Rio murmured as he stretched out fully and opened his eyes. “Besides, I need to get back to work on the song anyway if I want to finish it tonight.”

Banri furrowed his brow. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? There’s no need to rush or anything, so don’t push yourself more than you can handle, alright?”

Rio nodded with a reassuring smile. “I’ll be sure to pace myself. I appreciate your concern, though.”

Banri’s features seemed to relax a touch. “If you say so.”

Rio’s gaze drifted to the piano, a smile flitting across his face as memories resurfaced. “As strange as this may sound, the last few days have been inspiring, in a way.”

“How so?”

“I’ve found that all of you have become people I can rely on, and you all taught me it was alright to open up about my struggles.” Rio nodded at Banri. “I want to be the same for you – I want to be someone everyone in Argoanvis can confide in.”

To Rio’s surprise Banri lit up, his eyes sparkling. “You already are – you’ve been that person more times than we can count, whether you know it or not. In fact, you’ve been one of our most steadfast members since the very beginning.” Banri gently placed a hand on Rio’s shoulder. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Rio-kun – you mean more to us than you’ll ever know.”

“Shiroishi…”

For a moment Rio floundered for words, his heart trembling. That he had a presence in Argonavis was something he had quietly assumed, yet to hear this said out loud moved him more than he had ever expected.

Finally, Rio nodded with a grateful smile. “Thank you so much. I’m incredibly grateful to hear it.”

“Of course,” Banri replied as he gestured towards the piano. “Now get out there and rock that song – we’re all counting on you, genius.”

Rio smirked, eyes twinkling. “I will – I  _ am _ a genius, after all.”

Both of them chuckled, warm and airy. Everything seemed to sparkle a touch brighter, a fire lighting from within.

As they quieted Rio drained the last of his milk before standing and stretching out. Already his mind was drifting towards the lyrics, phrases swirling in his mind anew. It seemed the break had done him good.

“Well, I’m going to get back to the song.” Rio walked over to the piano and ran his hand over the notebook before sitting at the bench. “I’ve got quite a few new ideas now, and I’m interested in seeing how they play out.”

“Got it,” Banri replied. “Best of luck – I can’t wait to hear them tomorrow!”

Rio glanced back at Banri with a nod and a smile. “Thanks. Goodnight, Shiroishi.”

“Goodnight, Rio-kun.” Banri smiled back before he disappeared up the stairs, leaving Rio alone with the piano and his thoughts.

Rio turned back to the piano, setting his jaw as he straightened. It was time to cleave a path forward – he was getting fired up now, and there was no turning back.

With resolve burning in his heart Rio forged onward, carving a path through the fog. Time gradually melted away under the heat of his flame, soon vanishing altogether. By the time he had finished the first hints of morning light were peeking through the sky.

Rio looked over his finished lyrics with a tired, yet proud smile. Finally, after countless drafts and hours of frustration, they were done. Now, it was definitely time for some well-deserved rest.

Closing his notebook, Rio placed it on the piano stand before wandering over to the couch with a yawn, acutely aware of the dizziness assaulting his head as he lay down. No sooner had Rio made himself comfortable than did darkness come, whisking him away into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

When Rio stirred the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the harsh shafts of sunlight streaking across the ceiling.

Blinking, he rubbed his eyes and stretched out, willing the sleeping tension from his limbs. That was when he came to notice the second thing – a small, round ball of fluff snuggled next to him.

Rio smiled fondly as the ball uncurled itself and stretched out with a yawn, his little tail wagging back and forth. “Good morning, Pon-chan.”

Pon-chan yipped sleepily as he blinked, then swiveled his head towards Rio. After a moment Pon-chan simply scooted closer to Rio and curled up again, nestling against his chest. A chuckle slipped free as Rio lazily rubbed Pon-chan’s ears, then stroked his thick, soft fur.

“Looks like someone’s comfy,” Yuto chuckled.

Rio glanced up to find to his amusement the rest of Argonavis standing over the couch, phones in hand – no doubt they were taking pictures of the sight. 

“And you all seem to be enjoying yourselves,” Rio quipped with a good-natured grin.

Wataru’s amused smile peeked out as he lowered his phone and gestured to the dozing Pon-chan. “You and Pon-chan certainly have taken to each other.”

“Or maybe he just liked the couch better than his bed,” Banri giggled. “Who knows?”

Ren nodded in agreement. “Well, Pon-chan does like beds, so it makes sense that he'd like the couch too.”

Rio perked up as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Carefully sitting up as to not wake Pon-chan, he pulled it out to find a series of images in Argonavis’s group chat. He bit back a chuckle as he saw they were all nearly identical pictures of himself and Pon-chan curled up together, sleeping peacefully. “Looks like everyone had the same idea.”

“Hey, the more the better, right?” Banri said with a cheery grin.

Rio smirked as he turned his phone camera to selfie mode and held it up, ensuring both Pon-chan and himself were in the frame. “I suppose you can’t go wrong with that.”

A quick snap later, Rio had posted his selfie in the group chat as well. There was a beat as everyone simultaneously did a double-take, glancing between their phones and Rio. The silence was quickly shattered as everyone dissolved into amused giggles, their voices bright.

A tickle to his side sent Rio squirming lightly as his giggles intensified. Glancing down, he saw that Pon-chan was now wide awake, tail whirling sprightly.

Pon-chan barked as he looked up at everyone, then hopped off the couch and began prancing around the rest of Argonvis, eliciting more chuckles as everyone watched amusedly.

“Looks like Pon-chan wants his walk,” Yuto mused.

Ren nodded. “I can take him.”

“Sounds good,” Rio replied as he stood and stretched out fully. “I want to make breakfast today if you all don’t mind, as a way of making up for the past few days.”

Wataru furrowed his brow for a moment before his expression softened. “There’s nothing you need to make up for, but we appreciate the gesture. In that case, I’d like to help out as well.”

“Since Wataru and Rio have breakfast covered, I’ll take down and fold the laundry,” Yuto said. “Thankfully it dried quickly in the sun yesterday while we were out.”

“And I’ll help Yuto-kun,” Banri added. “We have a lot of clothes between the five of us, and it’ll be faster if two people were working together.”

Yuto nodded with a thumbs-up. “Let’s get going!”

With that, the five split up to their chores. Rio immediately headed towards the kitchen, Wataru close behind. As Rio stepped in and glanced around, his chest flitted with familiar warmth. It felt good to be home with everyone again.

The next hour slipped by in a flurry of activity as everyone busied about, quickly settling into their normal routine. Before long Rio and Wataru had breakfast ready on the table just as Ren, Yuto, and Banri entered the dining room, raring to eat.

“Mmm, that smells good,” Yuto said as he sniffed the air. “Looks like we’re having tamago gohan* today, aren’t we?”

Rio nodded as he set down the final bowl of rice and sat down. “Please help yourself. There’s extra rice in the pot if you’d like more.”

Banri grinned as he sat down at his spot and grabbed his chopsticks. “I’m starving – let’s dig in!”

Wataru nodded and followed suit, as did Ren and Yuto. “What are our plans after this? Are we going to practice at the studio?”

At Wataru’s words, Rio perked up and straightened. “This reminds me, I finished the song I improvised yesterday. I’d like to show it to you all properly, and if possible, practice it with everyone as a group.”

“You finished it in one night?” Yuto’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s amazing!”

Rio chuckled and nodded. “The music came together quite easily, but the lyrics on the other hand…” He trailed off and glanced at Wataru with a small smile. “Matoba, the way you write lyrics is amazing – how you honestly convey your feelings and let them become known to the world.”

Wataru blinked in surprise. “Thank you, but…why the sudden praise?”

“I say that because the lyrics turned out to be incredibly difficult for me to write,” Rio replied. “Even though they seemed to easily form when I first improvised in front of you all, they felt clumsy, garish even, when I looked back at them later with fresh eyes. It took me almost fifty rewrites until I ultimately found them acceptable.” Rio halted when he noticed everyone’s concerned gazes, then smiled reassuringly. “But don’t worry – I made sure to take breaks and to pace myself, too. I know my limits.”

“In that case, I can’t wait to hear it!” Ren exclaimed. “I want to sing it as soon as I can!”

Wataru nodded in agreement. “Knowing you, I’m sure you came up with something amazing. Just thinking about it is making me excited!”

“Then let’s hurry up so we can get over there already!” Already Banri was stirring his rice with gusto. “The more we sit around, the less time we’ll have to practice and hear the new song!”

“Alright!” Yuto cheered. “Let’s eat, everyone!”

With that everyone wolfed down their breakfast as quickly as they could, the anticipation of the new song spurring them on. Fifteen minutes later they were out the door and on the way to the studio, the world rushing past them in a colorful blur.

A brief walk later Argonavis arrived at the studio, where they swept in and hastily set up. Rio smiled as he pulled out the sheet music, looking it over fondly. It was time.

“So that’s for the new song?” Yuto asked as he glanced at Rio.

Rio nodded and held it out for everyone to see. “Here it all is.”

Banri walked over and took his part, then looked it over. “Wow…this is seriously amazing! I’m getting pumped up just by looking at it!”

Ren, Yuto, and Wataru also took their parts, their faces lighting up in excitement as well.

“Let’s play it right now!” Yuto’s shout startled everyone as he spun around. “I can’t wait any longer!”

Rio looked between Yuto and Banri, gratitude fluttering in his chest. “Shiroishi…Goryo…”

“I agree!” Ren exclaimed as he smiled at Rio. “Just as we all expected, this is amazing!”

Wataru nodded as he chimed in. “You outdid yourself once again – and knowing that this song is overflowing with your own emotions makes it even more powerful.”

Wataru’s words reached through and sparked a flame in Rio’s heart, melting away all else. The air itself seemed to thrum as everyone settled in their places, eagerly poring over the sheet music. Rio couldn’t help a smile as he watched – now that everyone else was getting excited, he felt himself getting fired up too.

“Out of curiosity, do you have a title for this piece yet?” Banri piped up. “If not, we can help you think of one.”

Rio perked up at the question, then nodded. “I do – I’m planning to name it  _ QUIET DANCE.” _

_ “QUIET DANCE, _ huh?” Yuto nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. “I like it!”

“Me too!” Ren chimed in. “Though out of curiosity, why’d you choose that name?”

Rio blinked, caught off guard. After a moment, he chuckled and shrugged. “I just chose it because it sounded nice – in fact, it started as a placeholder name, but over time I grew fond of it, so it stuck.”

“It’s always nice when things like these work out,” Wataru said. “And I agree with Yu and Ren – it does have a nice ring to it.”

Banri nodded eagerly. “Yeah! With a title like that, it’ll be memorable for sure!”

“Shall we get started, then?” Yuto asked as he gazed around.

Rio drew in a deep breath to steady himself, then nodded. “Let’s begin.”

Banri nodded and tapped his drumsticks together. “One, two, three, four—”

With that everyone leapt in headfirst, an explosion of music filling the air. Before long Ren’s vocals soared above the rest, warm and bright as his voice danced around the room. Everyone’s hearts sprouted wings and took flight as they played, letting the harmonies carry them ever higher. At that moment, too, did a dichotomy of emotions swirl within Rio’s chest, leaving him breathless. Composing it and playing it alone on the piano was one thing, but now that all of Argonavis were performing it together, the song had been given new life beyond anything Rio had ever imagined. All he could do was close his eyes and surrender to it, letting the warmth of everyone’s music wash over him.

When Rio dared open his eyes again, he found everyone smiling at him, their gazes earnest and warm. Rio’s heart leapt as he smiled back, joyful tears prickling at his eyes. He could feel everyone reaching out to him through their music and cheering him on, sending his heart swelling with so much joy and gratitude he thought it would burst.

With his friends pushing him onward, Rio poured his heart into his playing, joining his friends in a euphoric musical frolic. All traces of sorrow and uncertainty were chased away by the light blooming within everyone’s hearts as it weaved freely through the air. Onward they forged, allowing their music to pave the way towards the very end.

The song was over before they knew it, the last chords ringing into electrified silence. The air hung in suspension as everyone caught their breaths, the uneven cadences of quiet panting filling the room.

Rio could only stare down at the keyboard, his breath lodged too tightly in his throat for him to form words. To say that he was blown away by the result was an understatement – something within him had been shaken so violently that he feared the simple act of exhaling would cause him to crumble.

“Rio-kun?”

Rio blinked as Banri’s voice pulled him from his daze. Slowly Rio raised his head and gazed around at everyone, his breath trembling as it loosened.

“We…We did it…” An euphoric smile bloomed across Rio’s face, his voice shining. “We actually did it!”

Peals of joyful laughter rang through the air like bells, five voices melding into one as they bounded and sparkled bright as starlight. It was as if a new world full of light and hope had opened up in front of them. Now the gears of time had truly begun to turn full speed, pushing everyone on an exhilarating rush down the path. Their hearts, no longer burdened by the past, had spread their wings and took flight beyond the fog. From now on, they were starting on a new journey towards the future, running full speed ahead together.

The air continued to shimmer bright and warm as everyone caught their breaths, their surroundings seeming to glow brighter, tinged with rich color. The five exchanged warm, earnest smiles, their eyes shining with hope.

“Thank you, everyone.” Rio held his friends’ gazes in his own, his voice overflowing with gratitude. “Through this song, I was able to find myself again, and I wouldn’t have done it without all of you.”

“Rio…”

Rio nodded, his smile widening despite the unabashed tears welling in his eyes. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much for believing in me and for guiding me onto the right path. I’m really lucky to have such cherished friends in Argonavis.”

“And we’re really lucky to have you, too!” Banri responded with a cheery grin. “After all, Argonavis isn’t Argonavis without all five of us – and that includes you!”

“Banri-kun’s right,” Wataru chimed in. “You’re our cherished friend as well, and nothing will ever change that.”

Gently Rio ran his hand across the sheet music, warm memories drifting to the surface. “What I want to convey is that I am here now, with you all – and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world.”

“And we could hear your resolve in your playing,” Ren said. “Surely, our feelings were able to reach each other through our music.”

“That’s what makes this band amazing!” Yuto exclaimed as he excitedly swept his hand towards everyone. “Our bonds are so close that we don’t even need words to express our feelings – our music is more than enough!”

Everyone nodded and chuckled in agreement, the warmth in their hearts overflowing and blossoming like flowers. Together, they all knew that as long as they had each other, everything would be alright – that it was because they shared the same dreams, hopes, and struggles, that they were all able to move forward as one.

In that moment, where their voices bloomed, a promise reignited – that no matter what, they would always cherish their bonds and hold them close. With that as their compass, surely they would be able to continue sailing confidently down the path they had chosen, with the stars and their music lighting the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Tamago gohan (also known as tamago kake gohan) is a popular Japanese breakfast food consisting of cooked Japanese rice topped or mixed with raw egg and soy sauce. It is also known as a comfort food.
> 
> And with that, another multichapter comes to a close! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey – it was great fun to write, and I hope you all enjoyed it too!  
> With that, see you all next time!


End file.
